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Missingno. Master: The relationship between yourself and Myrtle is seeing some groundbreaking results. Not only is she calling you by your actual name, but she’s not mocking you whenever you make a vaguely – or fully – intelligent suggestion! Helena smiles at this, but says nothing, lest this falls apart. Your lives are all at risk. After all, you might be in a whole new dimension, but this.... This might make the struggles more than worth it.

You head for the coastline, using the rumours of Missingno. to your advantage. You’re constantly mystified by your surroundings, climbing over small boulders that are in the middle of nowhere, or the fact that parts of the ground have letters and numbers engraved into them. The colours aren’t even natural, with foliage and buildings painted hues of red, blue, yellow, grey, black and gold.

You were taking notice of how a building you passed had no windows and a roof made of two completely different materials when a vicious bark caught your attention. A wild Houndour had appeared, barking fiercely and snapping its sharp, shiny teeth at you. Its back was arched and it was ready for confrontation.

“A Houndour...?” You get out your Pokedex to log its appearance, but Myrtle’s suspicious.
“It might not be real.” She tells you. However, the threat itself was very real indeed – Glitch City, in its own way, was not real, but they were still trapped in it, and affected by it. Not only that, but if Missingno. was testing you... Could this not be part of it?

Missingno. Master: The relationship between yourself and Myrtle is seeing some groundbreaking results. Not only is she calling you by your actual name, but she’s not mocking you whenever you make a vaguely – or fully – intelligent suggestion! Helena smiles at this, but says nothing, lest this falls apart. Your lives are all at risk. After all, you might be in a whole new dimension, but this.... This might make the struggles more than worth it.

You head for the coastline, using the rumours of Missingno. to your advantage. You’re constantly mystified by your surroundings, climbing over small boulders that are in the middle of nowhere, or the fact that parts of the ground have letters and numbers engraved into them. The colours aren’t even natural, with foliage and buildings painted hues of red, blue, yellow, grey, black and gold.

You were taking notice of how a building you passed had no windows and a roof made of two completely different materials when a vicious bark caught your attention. A wild Houndour had appeared, barking fiercely and snapping its sharp, shiny teeth at you. Its back was arched and it was ready for confrontation.

“A Houndour...?” You get out your Pokedex to log its appearance, but Myrtle’s suspicious.
“It might not be real.” She tells you. However, the threat itself was very real indeed – Glitch City, in its own way, was not real, but they were still trapped in it, and affected by it. Not only that, but if Missingno. was testing you... Could this not be part of it?

What do you do?

As Keith led the way to the coastline, he stared in wonder at his surroundings, the out-of-place boulders, the pieces of ground engraved with letters and numbers, the unnatural colors. And then came a vicious barking sound. Keith looked, and there was a small yet vicious canine, barking fiercely, snapping its teeth, ready for a fight.

"A Houndour...?" Keith muttered as he pulled out his Pokedex. Myrtle, however, looked somewhat suspicious.

"What will you use?" asked Helena. "I can on-ly use Knock Off, Om-i-nous Wind, and Flash, so I am not sure how much help I would be," she added, almost apologetically.

"Don't worry about it, Helena," Keith smiled to reassure her. "You'll have your first battle eventually. In the meantime..." he added as he took a Poke Ball off his belt.

"You did not bring ei-ther of your Wa-ter-types," observed Myrtle. "Let's see how this will work out..."

Keith turned his cowboy hat backwards, a move which Myrtle ordinarily mocked, though she actually seemed less inclined to do so this time around, and he threw the Poke Ball. "Peeves, I choose you! Go!" he shouted as he hurled the sphere forward, which split open, releasing the Duskull into the air.

"Wah!" Peeves exclaimed as he noticed the barking Houndour before him. "Is you crazy?" he demanded. "This not very good type matchup, you know!"

"Sorry, Peeves, I didn't have much in the way of options," Keith apologized. "Nothing I got right now is a particularly good matchup against a Houndour, but type advantage isn't everything."

"It's enough!" Peeves argued.

"Just do this, Peeves," Keith sighed.

"Wait- where the hell are we?" Peeves demanded, noticing the odd surroundings for the first time. "What this, I no even."

"Long story," Keith said. "I'll explain later. Look, use your Leer on the Houndour, then slam it with Headbutt, and follow it up with a Drain Punch, OK?"

Meetan's January Update #9

Glitch City

Missingno. Master: Myrtle has a good point. You’ve not only brought no water-types on your adventure, but your type match-up for a Houndour is abysmal. Your Shuppets are again on the unhelpful side, and Helena is once more feeling guilty for it. You reassure her before releasing your Duskull, who flails about and questions your sanity.

“Just do this, Peeves.” You say before making your commands. The ghost-type leers at Houndour, who not only leers back, but howls its dominance, raising its spirit and its attack prowess. While it’s busy showing off, however, it falls prey to your Pokemon’s headbutt attack, tumbling backwards and shaking its head. The Drain Punch is super-effective and well-timed, too, interrupting the dual-type’s recovery.

For now, despite your bad judgement, you seem to be on top. Houndour’s not lost a lot of health, but it has lost more than Peeves. Peeves, on the other hand, has sapped a bit more of his energy because of the third move you’ve ordered. Houndour is not happy, and is charging in to Bite its opponent, charging an Ember as it does so. What do you do?

Missingno. Master: Myrtle has a good point. You’ve not only brought no water-types on your adventure, but your type match-up for a Houndour is abysmal. Your Shuppets are again on the unhelpful side, and Helena is once more feeling guilty for it. You reassure her before releasing your Duskull, who flails about and questions your sanity.

“Just do this, Peeves.” You say before making your commands. The ghost-type leers at Houndour, who not only leers back, but howls its dominance, raising its spirit and its attack prowess. While it’s busy showing off, however, it falls prey to your Pokemon’s headbutt attack, tumbling backwards and shaking its head. The Drain Punch is super-effective and well-timed, too, interrupting the dual-type’s recovery.

For now, despite your bad judgement, you seem to be on top. Houndour’s not lost a lot of health, but it has lost more than Peeves. Peeves, on the other hand, has sapped a bit more of his energy because of the third move you’ve ordered. Houndour is not happy, and is charging in to Bite its opponent, charging an Ember as it does so. What do you do?

In spite of the disadvantage, Peeves seemed to have the upper hand so far. That being said, it was clear that Peeves's Drain Punch was, ironically enough, a little draining on him, Drain Punch not being a move normally learnable by Duskull.

"You're doing great, Peeves," Keith encouraged his Duskull. "OK, dodge that Bite and hit it with a Confuse Ray! Follow up with Hidden Power- that's a Fighting move for you, so that should work nicely."

As Keith said this, he seemed to be thinking about something for a moment, and then he dug into his backpack and withdrew from within a Poke Ball.

"You are go-ing to try to catch it?" Myrtle asked in surprise. "You do not e-ven know if it is real."

"Guess this is one way to find out, though, isn't it?" Keith grinned. "Don't worry, I won't throw it until the Houndour looks sufficiently weakened. Don't need a repeat of that Absol incident abck in the Sphinx. What a waste of a Poke Ball that was."

Meetan's January Update #10

Glitch City

Missingno. Master: You make your orders and Peeves goes to obey, but you’ve now got more irony to add to your previous lot. Just as you tell your battler that he’s doing great, he fails to dodge Houndour’s bite. The canine latches on hard, and the Duskull wails horribly, trying to float away and shake him off. In his desperation, he tries to confuse the Houndour with the second command, but it misses completely, bouncing off an odd stone in the scenery and flying off into the sky.

“Peeves! The Hidden Power!” You urge him worriedly, and he lights up, his body brightened by the sphere of power charging up in him. The enemy takes advantage of the close range before your own monster can, using the Ember that had been glowing in his mouth. The ghost wails again before using his attack and Houndour howls, but this time not from arrogance as he is fired into the ground, which cracks and sparks pixels beneath him. He has lost a lot of health, but now, so has Peeves, and the Duskull is suffering from waning energy to boot.

In terms of health, Peeves has lost almost as much as Houndour, but his energy reserves are far lower, especially where fighting is concerned. The dog is enraged, and he roars in his fury. What do you do?

Missingno. Master: You make your orders and Peeves goes to obey, but you’ve now got more irony to add to your previous lot. Just as you tell your battler that he’s doing great, he fails to dodge Houndour’s bite. The canine latches on hard, and the Duskull wails horribly, trying to float away and shake him off. In his desperation, he tries to confuse the Houndour with the second command, but it misses completely, bouncing off an odd stone in the scenery and flying off into the sky.

“Peeves! The Hidden Power!” You urge him worriedly, and he lights up, his body brightened by the sphere of power charging up in him. The enemy takes advantage of the close range before your own monster can, using the Ember that had been glowing in his mouth. The ghost wails again before using his attack and Houndour howls, but this time not from arrogance as he is fired into the ground, which cracks and sparks pixels beneath him. He has lost a lot of health, but now, so has Peeves, and the Duskull is suffering from waning energy to boot.

In terms of health, Peeves has lost almost as much as Houndour, but his energy reserves are far lower, especially where fighting is concerned. The dog is enraged, and he roars in his fury. What do you do?

"Damn it," Keith muttered as things started to turn bad. The battle wasn't going so hot now- Peeves took both the Bite and the Ember, and to top it off, his Confuse Ray had missed completely. Oh, and he was running out of energy, too. "Damn it, damn it, damn it..."

"Peeves will not last too much lon-ger like this," Myrtle remarked. "You might want to change Po-ke-mon."

"Yeah, what do you suggest?" Keith demanded. "You're sick-"

"How a-bout Li-ly?" asked Helena. "You brought her, I think?"

"Yeah, but she's a Bug-type," Keith sighed. "She's weak to Fire."

"I weak to Dark, and that no stop you," Peeves called.

"He makes a decent point," Keith admitted. "OK, Peeves, return," he added, withdrawing the Duskull to his Poke Ball. He reattached Peeves's ball to his belt, keeping the empty one in his hand, and with his other hand, throwing the other one. "Let's go, Lily!" he shouted as the Venomoth re-emerged from her Poke Ball.

"Venomoth, Veno- moth?" Lily said as she started eyeing her strange surroundings.

"No time for that right now, Lily," Keith said urgently. "See that Houndour? Hit it with Sleep Powder! If it comes out of that awake for whatever reason, try a Stun Spore followed by a Sludge Wave."

As he gave the orders, he tightened his grip on the empty Poke Ball in his hand, prepared to throw it as soon as the Houndour fell asleep.

LASL: At the suggestion made to you, you begin to tremble and your heart feels like it’s plummeting to the ground. You repeat breathing exercises over and over in your mind until you feel much calmer, and even though you’re silent for over a minute, the man simply watches you with eerie calm, awaiting your answer.

His expression only falters when you hurriedly excuse yourself, fumbling for Sparow’s Poke Ball beneath a shelter. The north wind batters you, and the rain has become heavy. Even on a good day, you would misinterpret the poor Pokemon’s conversational signals, and while your partner is anything but game, you return to the adult before he thinks you’re any more peculiar than he already must think you are. Plus, it would be rude to keep him waiting.

“What’s the plan?” You ask, and within seconds, the wind picks up considerably. Sparow caws out with fright, and you panic, holding ever tighter to your friend. The man takes your wrist securely before you go flying over the wall and into the ocean, and then looks out at the storm. It has yet to move any further, but out to sea, you notice a space of water rising upwards as if it’s forming a waterfall. Your mouth forms an ‘o’ of bewilderment as out of the ocean a palace of pure crystal rises, immune to the elements battering it, and sparkling with great beauty. When you can finally tear your gaze away from this amazing sight, you notice the stranger looks different: his eyes are not brown, but glowing a dark crimson, and his hair is not black but a deep blue. It is wavy, like the curves of an aurora. He is holding you too tightly to escape even as you step away, but without even looking back at the distant statue, you know exactly who he resembles.

What do you do?

About the only coherent thought going through El's mind was Holy Karpador. She wasn't even thinking it loudly, just a soft, repeating statement. Water? She could take it if it were less than knee deep. Flying and clouds? Sparow could get a few feet high and was at least able to cope with mist these days. Suicune? A palace in the middle of the sea? Holy Karpador, Holy Karpador, Holy Karpador. She wasn't scared or awestruck, not visibly at least. In truth, she was experiencing so many emotions at once that all she could physically do was stand there with a blank, wide-eyed expression while muttering mangled German.

Well, if you're gonna conquer your fear, why not do it in style? Is probably what El would say if she were a little less broken at that point in time. Eventually she graduated from mangled German to vaguely legible English. "A bu, vai mee? Wha dib aih... Ee 'oing to shtorhm? Ish 'aht cashle? Mee? Vai mee? I... I... What's going on I don't understand!" The wind was so strong, if it weren't for... his grip she could almost have been blown away. Her goggles were beyond useless now, fogged up and covered in rain. But... he wouldn't let go even if she wanted... him to and her other hand was keeping a tight grasp on her pokemon.

"Are... Are we seriously going there?" El looked in the vague direction of the castle from what she remembered. "Why? How? Why me why me why me!" Sparow squawked as El tightened her grip a little too much. The bird was equally confused, though more by El's sudden affinity for gibberish and being brought out into a wicked storm than the events. Either way neither of them had been expecting that the day would wind up anything like this. And though Sparow would much have rathered to go home, El stubbornly refused to give up. "So what are we doing! Don't waste time please, the longer I wait the more likely I am to chicken out! Please don't let me waste this, I don't want to be afraid!"

Sure, she was shouting at a wall a few feet in front of him, but its the thought that counts, right?

Whale Island - 28

Raine's Wildlife Park

Son of Shadows:I usually only allow 3 moves per Pokémon for single battles and 2 moves per Pokémon for doubles but I’ll work with it for this update. Also whilst I don’t predict this battle will last long at all, expecting to knockout Corphish in one round is a little optimistic :P

You stumble wearily to your feet, a sore pain in your flank courtesy of Aegis’s hard carapace. With the Helicopter’s whirring rousing you into action the only thing stood in between you and liberating the Shamu – who was in the process of being liberated – was an old fashioned two-on-two brawl. Looking to even the odds you brandish another Pokéball, lobbing it forward to bring Voltron onto the scene. The Magnemite bobs free of his Pokéball with a smooth hum, stars running off his body as he suspends in midair. Meanwhile Aegis switched into a battle stance back against the magnet as the enemy Pokémon rounded on them. With a time limit every second counted, quickly volleying orders to kick off the battle. The redhead squints ahead, vision still impaired for hearing sharp enough to counter your orders, “Corphish! Protect yourself from both attacks then retaliate with a Bubblebeam! Poochyena, Bite on its tail and keep it up with a Crunch before letting it know who’s boss with a Roar!”

You can’t help thinking she’d be a lot tougher than you thought, these thoughts quickly dashed as the battle got underway. First on the bat is Voltron, the poles of his magnets crackling with electricity as he shoots off a Thunderbolt. The lightning arcs forward, inches from its target until the crawdad suddenly props up a Protective barrier – soaking up the electricity leaving him unscathed. Aegis dashes toward the canine before sweeping his Tail forward, the appendage flickering an Aqua hue. The attack splashes against its mark for a decent hit, but as the Wartortle attempts to pull his tail back the Poochyena straggles on with its jaws locked in a vicious Bite. Unfazed by the last attack, Voltron looks to up the ante as Sparks fly up and down his metal hide, veering toward the Corphish. The crab has other ideas as he tries to set up another shield to Protect himself... only managing to summon thin air with no time to dodge! The magnet tackles into the Corphish for a nasty hit, electricity rippling up the crustacean’s armour as his limbs lock up in paralysis. After a lucky break you switch your attention back to Aegis who was yelping in pain with the pup’s teeth sunk deep into his tail Crunching against the bone. The turtle grits his teeth, inhaling through his nostrils and letting loose an icy tundra. Left sitting duck the Blizzard pelts against the Poochyena’s fur for a heavy hit - Corphish and Voltron also caught in the flurry. The magnet is pushed sideways by the gale before homing back in on his target, emitting a Sonicboom which ripples down the bleachers chipping away another chunk of Corphish’s health. Still stiff from paralysis the crustacean manages to shoot off a Beam of foamy Bubbles, the barrage pelting against the electric type for some solid retribution. Aegis goes to tail off the round, raising his arms which combust in flames. However the Poochyena quickly stops him in his tracks, barking off a powerful Roar making the fire ebb away into cinders as the turtle is caught off guard.

“Keep it up!” The crook yells, “Corphish! Hit that Magnemite with another Bubblebeam then nail it with Rock Smash! Poochyena! Get on top of the Wartortle with a Take Down then give it a taste of your Thunder Fang!

Ampere Beach

Dark Searchman:Refunding your Fresh Water (1/10) as having Chinchou swimming over to the boat and drinking it under such rough tides will sort of detract from the story. Don’t worry I don’t plan on killing her off :P

It was sink or swim as the fight against the rough storm ran its course. Your body starts to go into shock as the temperature reaches subzero, your icy breath visible in the pitch-black atmosphere. You block another spray of water from your eyes, the icy cold sting running down your bare arm. Thoughts quickly rush to the man overboard who’s chances of survival seemed less pretty by the second. Your concerns are quickly dashed by the sharp grind of ice bergs against the hull of the vessel as it journeyed deeper into the elements. With both parties nearing the brink it was time for your final gambit. Briney set you to pose a distraction as Peeko swooped in for the orb, a difficult feat for any trainer. Battling seasickness as the deck refused to stay steady against the turbulent surf, you steady yourself against the mast and sweep the horizon again for Delilah. There were less blinking bulbs by the second, only the toughest of the sea creatures yet to be smitten by the ocean god. You quickly spot the angler fish, wracking together a diversion tactic to give the seagull as wide a window of opportunity as possible. With orders shot all you could do now was hold down your lunch as the nautical rollercoaster ride continued.

Chinchou and his cousins quickly link together, sparks flying up and down their slippery fins as a Shock Wave of energy ripples outward. The electromagnetic field looks to hit its mark again but as you squint toward the far edge of the black horizon the Sea Basin Pokémon is nowhere to be seen! Salty water spits in your face as you’re caught off guard, eyes sore with tang as you hang over the rail and strain toward Chinchou. You quickly home in on a pair of red eyes travelling with the tide at breakneck speed, the submerged Kyogre picking off its prey one fish at a time. Eelektross are easily driven out of the pack, glints of blood visible in the flash of lightning as the orca tears them limb from limb. The waters froth scarlet as it sinks its teeth into the Lanturn’s blubbery hide leaving just a couple of stragglers left. Heart wrenched in both shock and grief you barely hear Captain Briney as he finally sends the Wingull into the fray, “That’s your queue Peeko!” The bird squawks as it takes off into the darkness, barely able to ride the vicious winds as it veers into the eye of the storm. With Delilah seconds away from being eaten alive you could only hope Peeko could snatch the orb in time.

The clap of thunder quickly rouses you back to your own worries, the deck filling with water and the sails tearing against the violent headwinds – threatening to capsize at any moment. The captain hauls the boom in the opposite direction of the skirmish in efforts to steer toward it, giving you a decent view of the seagull as it made its descent. You also make out Briney Jr., hanging onto the whale’s dorsal fin like a sail with his right hand - possessed by the power of the red orb held so casually in his right. Fingers crossed as Peeko broke into a nosedive you could only hope he made it to Kyogre before Kyogre made it to Chinchou. The orca’s mouth pried open, water draining down its gullet with Delilah unable to break free of its current. Inches from the leviathan’s pearly teeth she winces in fear until the enemy changes course. When you didn’t think things could get worse, Kyogre met the incoming Wingull with a Water Spout – taking him out of the skies like a Gatling gun and sending him careering into the dark ocean.

“PEEEEEEEEEEKO!” Even a second lapse in the captain’s sailing is enough to send the vessel spiralling off course, the mast creaking as it cracked and splintered. You try to squint ahead, Chinchou and two other marine predators letting lose a volley of Thunder and Bolts hitting the orca in the nose sending sparks flying down the rest of its body. Even though they’d had enough time to escape they were determined to fight until the bitter end, igniting a flame in your chest that told you to press on. Their acts of treason were unforgivable, and with the sea god’s rage reaching new highs the waves become more violent than ever. The Surf quickly builds into a huge tsunami looking to take out the resistance in one fell swoop. The tidal wave ploughs through the remaining Lanturn and Eelektross with the heaviness knocking them out cold. Delilah is too small to share their fate, being sucked up to the peak of the wave headed straight for the beach! As it starts to break you try not to picture the tide lethally slamming the angler fish against the coast, but as you go to shut your eyes Briney jabs you desperately to look ahead.

“Look ma boy! It’s Peeko!” It was Peeko, but not as you knew him... Looking ahead you spot a much bigger bird soaring through the sky, its considerably larger beak propped open as it swooped toward the tidal wave. Barrelling through the rolling wave with ease, the Pelliper scoops up Delilah in his bill just before it crashes against the beach. Peeko starts to gain altitude as it veers back toward the storm, Chinchou’s torchlight leading the way. “Peeko can drop her right above Kyogre, then it’s up to Delilah to get the orb! You can do it kid I just know it!” Briney’s confidence in you was a little overwhelming and with the stake of Whale Island on your shoulders, you’d need to pull out all the stops in order to turn the tide. What will you do?

Kakatua Lagoon

Balmund: Minutes roll by as you tear apart the riddle, mulling over each word and piecing together some sense. The key words in the sentence constituted three water types, and when strung together in an equation added up to another water type! Amazed at your own brilliance you face ahead, squinting in Slowking’s murky torchlight. You swallow nervously as the words got caught in your windpipe. A wrong answer would coax the Pokémon into attack, a sure-fire end to your escape without Ephraim at your steed. Clearing your throat you speak up for the first time since you entered the network of tunnels: Seaking. The words escape your lips like a school of netted Remoraid, too late to call back with the hope you’d guessed right the only lifeline you could hang onto. Seconds pass like minutes in silence sans for the low hum of ocean, the Salamander’s eyes suddenly flickering neon blue. You brace yourself for a telekinetic beat down, but the Psychic power was focused on shifting the wall blocking your way. Dust trickles off the cracks in the ceiling with a low grinding grating like nails on a chalkboard. As the growing plume of dust scatters the Slowking had vanished from view, having paved a way out just a stretch ahead. Light breaks through the threshold, your eyes stinging as they adjust to brightness. The final task lay just ahead and the taste of freedom never felt so sweet. Of course if anyone had a knack for leeching away hope like a parasitic bug Pokémon it was the siren.

“Wow. You’re the first person to ever get this far. I have to give it to you. Guess you’re more than just a pretty fac-“ the mermaid suddenly breaks off in a fit of laughter ringing down the hollow tunnel, the realisation it was at your expense giving rise to a fresh wave of annoyance, “Oh ho ho... I’m sorry! Over a century of lying to men and I still couldn’t say that with a straight face!” Her goading words seem to drift off into a disturbing silence as you entered waywardly into the final room. Your eyes sweep across the arena in efforts to familiarise yourself with the surroundings. Beams of morning sun filtered down from above, hopes of an early getaway quickly dashed by a wrought-iron grid roofing you in. The uneven terrain below was covered in plant life: a reef of corals painting a pastel of colours on the sandy bed. The suns rays refracted flecks of golden light on the carpet of exotic sponges and corals - all centred around a red sea sponge the size of a mountain. Your guard starts to slip as you move in for a closer look, spotting a colony of trembling Corsola attempting to blend into the surroundings. This is enough to send up warning flags - if there’s one thing you’d learned today it was that even the most beautiful things can be deadly.

“Isn’t my garden just wonderful? You’ll never guess what I’ve been growing...” you can almost visualise her twisted grin, rubbing you all the wrong ways until she addresses someone or something else, “Garrgan! Dinner Time!” As the only pound of flesh in the dungeon your heart starts to race, eyes darting across the room in search of a predator. The still silence keeps you on your fins, ears straining for any signs of movement. A sudden tremble breaks across the bed making the whole dungeon shake, pebbles and dust breaking away from the ceiling. The red sponge was shuddering the most violently, and seemed to be rising as rock and algae ran off its colossal surface. Suddenly a pair of slits crack open on either side of its head as it came to life, beady black eyes fixing on you with a hungry glower. Awakening with a Godzilla-esc roar your tailfin suddenly locks up in paralysis. The sea monster was one of the few near-extinct Pokémon native to Fizzy Bubbles, with no one ever encountering it and living to tell the tale. Before your brain can signal the rest of your body, the Porossal swings one of its branches forward like a fist sweeping you up like a wrecking ball and sending you careering lifelessly into the coral beds.

“NOOOOOOOOO!” With the Dynamic Punch knocking away your senses you’re barely able to make sense of whether the mermaid’s desperate cry is a wild hallucination. Your body collides with the terrain, the force burying you in a grave of rocky debris. Consciousness starts to slip away as something primal takes over. Pushed to the back of your subconscious this instinct takes the wheel. Fangs bore it struggles under the heap of boulders despite your efforts to regain control – all you could do now is order it in the right direction. As your arms flail aggressively shifting some debris away you get a good look at the sea monster, thumping its chest in triumph unaware that the Gyarados within had finally awoken...

Balmund: Minutes roll by as you tear apart the riddle, mulling over each word and piecing together some sense. The key words in the sentence constituted three water types, and when strung together in an equation added up to another water type! Amazed at your own brilliance you face ahead, squinting in Slowking’s murky torchlight. You swallow nervously as the words got caught in your windpipe. A wrong answer would coax the Pokémon into attack, a sure-fire end to your escape without Ephraim at your steed. Clearing your throat you speak up for the first time since you entered the network of tunnels: Seaking. The words escape your lips like a school of netted Remoraid, too late to call back with the hope you’d guessed right the only lifeline you could hang onto. Seconds pass like minutes in silence sans for the low hum of ocean, the Salamander’s eyes suddenly flickering neon blue. You brace yourself for a telekinetic beat down, but the Psychic power was focused on shifting the wall blocking your way. Dust trickles off the cracks in the ceiling with a low grinding grating like nails on a chalkboard. As the growing plume of dust scatters the Slowking was gone from view, having paved a way out just a stretch ahead. Light breaks through the threshold, your eyes stinging as they adjust to brightness. The final task lay just ahead and the taste of freedom never felt so sweet. Of course if anyone had a knack for leeching away hope like a parasitic bug Pokémon it was the siren.

“Wow. You’re the first person to ever get this far. I have to give it to you. Guess you’re more than just a pretty fac-“ the mermaid suddenly breaks off in a fit of laughter ringing down the hollow tunnel, the realisation it was at your expense giving rise to a fresh wave of annoyance, “Oh ho ho... I’m sorry! Over a century of lying to men and I still couldn’t say that with a straight face!” Her goading words seem to drift off into a disturbing silence as you entered waywardly into the final room. Your eyes sweep across the arena in efforts to familiarise yourself with the surroundings. Beams of morning sun filtered down from above, hopes of an early getaway quickly dashed by a wrought-iron grid roofing you in. The uneven terrain below was covered in plant life: a reef of corals painting a pastel of colours on the sandy bed. The suns rays refracted flecks of golden light on the carpet of exotic sponges and corals - all centred around a red sea sponge the size of a mountain. Your guard starts to slip as you move in for a closer look, spotting a colony of trembling Corsola attempting to blend into the surroundings. This is enough to send up warning flags - if there’s one thing you’d learned today it was that even the most beautiful things can be deadly.

“Isn’t my garden just wonderful? You’ll never guess what I’ve been growing...” you can almost visualise her twisted grin, rubbing you all the wrong ways until she addresses someone or something else, “Garrgan! Dinner Time!” As the only pound of flesh in the dungeon your heart starts to race, eyes darting across the room in search of a predator. The still silence keeps you on your fins, ears straining for any signs of movement. A sudden tremble breaks across the bed making the whole dungeon shake, pebbles and dust breaking away from the ceiling. The red sponge was shuddering most violently, and seemed to be rising as rock and algae ran off its colossal surface. Suddenly a pair of slits crack open on either side of its head as it came to life, beady black eyes fixing on you with a hungry glower. Awakening with a Godzilla-esc roar your tailfin suddenly locks up in paralysis. The sea monster was one of the few near-extinct Pokémon native to Fizzy Bubbles, with no one ever encountering it and living to tell the tale. Before your brain can signal the rest of your body, the Porossal swings one of its branches forward like a fist sweeping you up like a wrecking ball and sending you careering lifelessly into the coral beds.

“NOOOOOOOOO!” With the Dynamic Punch knocking away your senses you’re barely able to make sense of whether the mermaid’s desperate cry is a wild hallucination. Your body collides with the terrain, the force burying you in a grave of rocky debris. Consciousness starts to slip away as something primal takes over. Pushed to the back of your subconscious this instinct takes the wheel. Fangs bore it struggles under the heap of boulders despite your efforts to regain control – all you could do now is order it in the right direction. As your arms flail aggressively shifting some debris away you get a good look at the sea monster, thumping its chest in triumph unaware that the Gyarados within had finally awoken...

Balmund uttered his response, too late to take it back, too late to mull it over, and waits. In turn, the Slowking's eyes now begin to glow a neon blue, and for a moment, Balmund gets ready for the worst, but soon realizes that rather than being attacked, the riddlemaster made use of its Psychic powers to pave the way forward. Balmund's answer was correct!The wall before him slowly shifted to the side, grinding loudly and lifting a large cloud of dust as it did. By the time it finished moving, Slowking was gone, light broke in, and freedom could be felt within his grasp.

Her voice is then heard once again, though Balmund could quite pinpoint her location. Melćna taunts him annoyingly, ever trying to break Balmund's spirit and morale, and fuel his heart further with anger. As Balmund heads into the open field, beautifully adorned by a carpet of glittering coral, caressed by the morning sun's rays filtering from above, he couldn't help noticing a colony of Corsola trembling in fear; an ominous sign for sure. Of course, like it was going to be so easy after all. What exactly laid dormant in this underwater garden? What were they so afraid of? Certainly not himself, he thought. Soon Melćna made it very clear however, as she called forth for another of her loyal soldiers. At her command, the very earth started to tremble, and the huge, red sponge in the center shuddered violently as it came to life, waking up from a long sleep. A beast like this Balmund had never seen. A part of him looked completely awestruck, while the other was thoroughly stricken with fear.

The monster roars, and before Balmund could even react, the last thing he could see was its colossal appendage swinging towards him, swatting him with dynamic force. Its explosive power sends him flying, heavens know how far back, crashing into a bed of coral. He could faintly hear the siren shriek a loud "NOOOOO" as he laid motionless on the floor. It couldn't have been her, but rather, the little girl within? He was likely dreaming the whole thing up. His ears were ringing. His body, he couldn't feel it. The water was so cold. His consciousness started to fade into nothingness, and then, it awakened. It was like a volcano of energy exploded within his chest. Something primal was taking hold within him, boiling with an unstoppable rage. Balmund's body was now not his own as he flailed the debris away aggressively. All he could really do was but ride the wave, and try to direct this power unto the right target, a thing easier said than done as his mind found itself slowly poisoned by a deep desire for violence and destruction. He stared at his opponent, the sea monster already thumping its chest in victory. No time to hesitate; no way he could think things through. ATTACK was all he could think of. Show the monster the power of Aqua Tail, then go on a close ranged rampage by Thrashing around mercilessly, finishing off with a display of all his pent up Dragon Rage.

Dark Searchman:Refunding your Fresh Water (1/10) as having Chinchou swimming over to the boat and drinking it under such rough tides will sort of detract from the story. Don’t worry I don’t plan on killing her off :P

It was sink or swim as the fight against the rough storm ran its course. Your body starts to go into shock as the temperature reaches subzero, your icy breath visible in the pitch-black atmosphere. You block another spray of water from your eyes, the icy cold sting running down your bare arm. Thoughts quickly rush to the man overboard who’s chances of survival seemed less pretty by the second. Your concerns are quickly dashed by the sharp grind of ice bergs against the hull of the vessel as it journeyed deeper into the elements. With both parties nearing the brink it was time for your final gambit. Briney set you to pose a distraction as Peeko swooped in for the orb, a difficult feat for any trainer. Battling seasickness as the deck refused to stay steady against the turbulent surf, you steady yourself against the mast and sweep the horizon again for Delilah. There were less blinking bulbs by the second, only the toughest of the sea creatures yet to be smitten by the ocean god. You quickly spot the angler fish, wracking together a diversion tactic to give the seagull as wide a window of opportunity as possible. With orders shot all you could do now was hold down your lunch as the nautical rollercoaster ride continued.

Chinchou and his cousins quickly link together, sparks flying up and down their slippery fins as a Shock Wave of energy ripples outward. The electromagnetic field looks to hit its mark again but as you squint toward the far edge of the black horizon the Sea Basin Pokémon is nowhere to be seen! Salty water spits in your face as you’re caught off guard, eyes sore with tang as you hang over the rail and strain toward Chinchou. You quickly home in on a pair of red eyes travelling with the tide at breakneck speed, the submerged Kyogre picking off its prey one fish at a time. Eelektross are easily driven out of the pack, glints of blood visible in the flash of lightning as the orca tears them limb from limb. The waters froth scarlet as it sinks its teeth into the Lanturn’s blubbery hide leaving just a couple of stragglers left. Heart wrenched in both shock and grief you barely hear Captain Briney as he finally sends the Wingull into the fray, “That’s your queue Peeko!” The bird squawks as it takes off into the darkness, barely able to ride the vicious winds as it veers into the eye of the storm. With Delilah seconds away from being eaten alive you could only hope Peeko could snatch the orb in time.

The clap of thunder quickly rouses you back to your own worries, the deck filling with water and the sails tearing against the violent headwinds – threatening to capsize at any moment. The captain hauls the boom in the opposite direction of the skirmish in efforts to steer toward it, giving you a decent view of the seagull as it made its descent. You also make out Briney Jr., hanging onto the whale’s dorsal fin like a sail with his right hand - possessed by the power of the red orb held so casually in his right. Fingers crossed as Peeko broke into a nosedive you could only hope he made it to Kyogre before Kyogre made it to Chinchou. The orca’s mouth pried open, water draining down its gullet with Delilah unable to break free of its current. Inches from the leviathan’s pearly teeth she winces in fear until the enemy changes course. When you didn’t think things could get worse, Kyogre met the incoming Wingull with a Water Spout – taking him out of the skies like a Gatling gun and sending him careering into the dark ocean.

“PEEEEEEEEEEKO!” Even a second lapse in the captain’s sailing is enough to send the vessel spiralling off course, the mast creaking as it cracked and splintered. You try to squint ahead, Chinchou and two other marine predators letting lose a volley of Thunder and Bolts hitting the orca in the nose sending sparks flying down the rest of its body. Even though they’d had enough time to escape they were determined to fight until the bitter end, igniting a flame in your chest that told you to press on. Their acts of treason were unforgivable, and with the sea god’s rage reaching new highs the waves become more violent than ever. The Surf quickly builds into a huge tsunami looking to take out the resistance in one fell swoop. The tidal wave ploughs through the remaining Lanturn and Eelektross with the heaviness knocking them out cold. Delilah is too small to share their fate, being sucked up to the peak of the wave headed straight for the beach! As it starts to break you try not to picture the tide lethally slamming the angler fish against the coast, but as you go to shut your eyes Briney jabs you desperately to look ahead.

“Look ma boy! It’s Peeko!” It was Peeko, but not as you knew him... Looking ahead you spot a much bigger bird soaring through the sky, its considerably larger beak propped open as it swooped toward the tidal wave. Barrelling through the rolling wave with ease, the Pelliper scoops up Delilah in his bill just before it crashes against the beach. Peeko starts to gain altitude as it veers back toward the storm, Chinchou’s torchlight leading the way. “Peeko can drop her right above Kyogre, then it’s up to Delilah to get the orb! You can do it kid I just know it!” Briney’s confidence in you was a little overwhelming and with the stake of Whale Island on your shoulders, you’d need to pull out all the stops in order to turn the tide. What will you do?

{Good, because I was thinking, "ONOEZ, MY POOR FISHIE IS GETTING HERT! MUST HEALLLL! DX" I don't like my Delilah getting hurt... >_<}

Hyrem wanted to finish up this Kyogre business quickly; his body was starting to become numb from the freezing cold water getting splashed on him all the time. And if things were bad at the surface, then imagine how Andy must be feeling as his body was forced to battle the subzero temperatures underwater. Hyrem was also getting seasick as the boat kept rocking, unable to calm down in rough waters and ice patches like this. Fortunately, it was time to execute Briney's strategy, so Hyrem located Delilah and relayed the plan to her. She and the few fish that remained tried to Shock Kyogre with another barrage of electricity, and as the attacks touch the Wave... Oh crud, where's Kyogre? More saltwater sprays into Hyrem as he strains just to look for Delilah. Then a pair of glowing red eyes makes Hyrem's heart skip yet another beat: Kyogre had used Dive and was preparing to massacre the fish from underwater!

"GUYS, LOOK OUT!" Hyrem screamed in an effort to warn Delilah and the others. But it was too late. Kyogre began the slaughter by grabbing one Eelektross after another in its jaws and ripping them apart before gulping down the bigger chunks of eel that lay there. Then it mercilessly moved to the Lanturn, tearing the choicest parts of their bodies out of them and into its gullet, leaving the rest of their bodies to die. So much bloodshed... Between the gore and the... ahem, "steadiness" of the boat, Hyrem might have lost a meal or two in addition to his heart being tied up in knots, fearing Delilah was next. "That's your cue, Peeko!" the captain's command barely registering the trainer's senses. "Gull!" Peeko caws as the old sea gull takes flight into the battering winds. Please, Peeko! the thought screamed into Hyrem's mind. Please, stop Kyogre and save Delilah!

More thunder strikes down as the boat fills up with water and the sails get torn into pieces. Some reliable boat it's turning out to be, Briney, it could sink right now if it wanted to! Hyrem continues to focus on Peeko, however, as it swoops in for the attempt at the Red Orb. But Kyogre was close enough to Delilah that just by opening its huge mouth the Chinchou would get swallowed whole in an instant! "CHOOOOOOU!" Delilah screams in terror as she is about to accept her fate. Suddenly, Kyogre veers off, but to Hyrem's horror it did so to get a good aim with its Spout at Peeko, blowing a powerful stream of Water out of its blowhole! "PEEKOOOOOOOOO!" Hyrem's heart barely has a second to sink before it leaps back above his chest again as the boat is sent careening away and the mast is shattered into pieces. He was still able to see Delilah, one last Lanturn, and one last Eelektross land another Thunderbolt on Kyogre's nose; a valiant effort, to be sure, but the plan had failed, and Kyogre was looking to finish them all off by summoning an extremely powerful Surf attack. This wave had to have reached 50 ft. in height before it crashed into Lanturn and Eelektross, KOing them outright.

If only Delilah was so lucky.

Hyrem could only watch as Delilah's smaller body was catapulted to the crest of the gigantic wave, then he couldn't watch anymore. "DELILAAAAAAAAAAAAH!" He started to cry as he knew what would happen: the impact of the wave crashing into land at such a height would flatten Delilah and kill her. Oh gosh, I can't watch either! Just... just tell me when it's over, okay?

"Look ma boy! It's Peeko!" Briney's tap on Hyrem's shoulder alerts him to a bigger bird. Was it Peeko? Certainly wasn't a Wingull... no, it was him! Peeko had evolved! "Oh wow!" Hyrem called out, feeling a renewed sense of hope as Dexelle revealed what Peeko was now:

Pelipper, the Water Bird Pokemon, and the evolved form of Wingull. It skims the surface of the ocean and engulfs water and prey with its bill, then carries it off to a safe place before swallowing it all whole. It can also carry its eggs or chicks in its bill to provide the best protection for their young. When tired, they can sit on the surface of the water to rest. Trained properly, they can be used to rescue smaller Pokemon and take them to safety.

Oh yeah, that last bit that Dexelle said? It was about to come in handy. "Pelllll!" the Water Bird cawed as his mouth opened wide to snatch Delilah from her grave, then fly back into the thick of it with Delilah's lights guiding him back to Kyogre. “Peeko can drop her right above Kyogre, then it’s up to Delilah to get the orb!" Briney said to Hyrem. "You can do it kid I just know it!” So the pressure was on, it was up to Hyrem and Delilah to save Whale Island--no, the whole world--from being ruled by fish, with Kyogre at the top of the food chain.

"Okay Delilah, this is it!" Hyrem called out to his Chinchou. "As you drop, focus your Supersonic attack on the guy riding Kyogre, then get the orb from him while he's distracted!" He knew better than to rely on just that, however, and he had a backup plan right in his backpack. He looked into a special pocket and pulled out a White Flute; thinking back he probably should've used it earlier, but now was as good a time to use it as any. Come on! thought Hyrem. There's gotta be more Pokemon in the sea than what I saw, I know it! That Basculin, the Gorebyss, they're out there! Please... everyone... please help! And with that, he played a tune that would be sure to resonate across the ocean on his flute, praying for some sort of miracle to surface in these turbulent waters.

Poketim – “Somn. Somn.... Somn?! Are you alright?!” You ask your Drowzee despierately, who is pointing and shuddering at a room past Krieg. You ask how your Koffing is involved in this, then realise your error. “Oh, is that what you were pointing at? Okay, we’ll check it out together. I’ll even let Jitterz out to protect you.”

As you carry on, a shuddering and struggling Somn in tow, a red light flashes and your party grows to four. Letting out Jitterz in this environment is a risk. His small form means he’s going to struggle in the water, although there would be plenty of things to web across if necessary. That, and his electricity could be a problem in such a conductable environment. However, Somn seems like he needs protecting right now.

This room is almost entirely blown apart, with the next room quite visible. You think you can hear voices, like an echo, but there’s nobody around. Water ripples and splashes, and even bubbles, but as you try to look through, you can’t see any apparent cause. Maybe Somn’s using psychic attacks to disturb it, but there’s no glowing eyes or aura on his part. Krieg isn’t even touching anything!

In the next room, there’re a bunch of wooden crates, unopened, covered in water plantation as if previously submerged. Somn is stock still. He doesn’t want to proceed any further. What do you do?

Ooc:If I'm not off the update list I'll go on.

The quartet pushed forward, one floated, one along a wall, and the remaining two trudging through the water. Brier lead Somn, moving debree from their path. "Looks like this place was hit with a bomb," Brier thought to himself.

"Joins us...." "Dloc os s'ti..." "Why..."

Somn, jumped away from Brier in a panic. "DROW!!!" the jump placed him on the ground, the shock growing worse.

"Somn..." Brier spoke softly, "Take my hand everything will be fine." Somn takes Briers hand but weather it was the young Drowzee or it's shock acting was indesernable. They passed the door's threshold and saw nothing but a bright darkness. Brier took his free hand and felt along the walk for a torch. "Ouch!!" Something jabbed Brier in the side. Just then Jitterz rounded the corner, the static of his hair casting a faint glow around him. "Well the works for a little light." his gaze dropped, fining itself on a crate a foot under Jitterz. "Perfect. Somn up you go," Brier said placing him on the crate. "Krigger can you puff out some flamable gase around the middle of the room, but not to much. And Jitterz ignite it with a thunderwave and try to spot a torch or candle or something."

"Can doz!" "Koffing fing"

Kriegger let out the gas, as Jitterz took aim. "Koff Koooooff Koff." Krigger sheezed out a second massive cloud off gas just a Jitterz let out the Thunder Wave.

"DOWN!!!!" Brier yelled at the two as he pulled himself and Somn in to the water. A light illuminated the water just as he got down. He knew Somn was alright but what of the other two?

Whale Island - 29

Ampere Beach

Dark Searchman: Avast! The clash on dangerous tides had met a climatic finale with Peeko headed waywardly into the eye of the storm, ferrying Delilah in his bill prepped for dispatching. Your heart was tied in knots as the white pelican faded into the stormy night skies, grossly outmatched by the forces ahead. Back to the sailboat, even the legendary captain was powerless to keep it steady as the turbulent waves picked up in size. Your stomach churns as the vessel cuts through the swelling water, the rising current pushing up against the bow as you desperately hang onto the railings – fingers numb against the cold metal. The boat drops upon reaching the rolling wave’s crest, gravity pulling you down the deck as it sailed into another dark wharf. Briney rushes to the mast, tying down the sails as the whirring winds looked to knock you further off course. You spit out another mouthful of seawater as the surf bumped aggressively against the sides of the ship, a wave breaking over the railing and flooding the deck.

Clambering to your feet with the last survivor of the resistance far out of sight, an idea strikes like a flash of lightning. With one last trick under your sleeve you brandish a White Flute, guarding it from the harsh winds and rocky tides as you press the mouthpiece against your trembling lips. Forged by the ashes of mount chimney, the glass vidro chimed as the torrent of drizzle pattered against its surface, your last bet at evening the odds. Hunkering down on the forward hatch and taking a quick swallow of salty air you start to play the instrument. Despite practice you were no Mozart - blowing your lungs out with the flute releasing a weak whirring noise, ringing in your ears even after it tailed off into the ruckus of stormy sea. Playing until you go blue in the face you crawl to the edge of the boat desperate to see what you’d lured. Your eyes sweep across the ocean, nothing but churning waves barely distinguishable from the black sky. Your hopes start to dwindle as strain deeper into the blue, a flare of lightning from the rumbling clouds above giving light to the shoal of fish Pokémon headed to the surface! Your heart starts to race, imagining how the mighty orca would deal with a second battalion of Rainbow Reef’s finest... Or so you’d hoped. Suddenly a Magikarp blindsides you as it flounders onto the deck with a loud thud! Rubbing the sting of salt water away you take another fleeting look beyond the deck, hundreds of the ‘karp swarming around the boat - floundering pathetically as they pushed and shoved to get closer. Briney is too preoccupied on steering to make an observation, the plan working out to be a flop by the looks of what you’d trawled up. The marine predators were shrewd enough to ride out the storm, leaving all hope in the hands of Delilah and Peeko.

Drowning out the noise of splashing carp, you home back in on the storm ahead - Kyogre’s ruby eyes like flashing beacons as they jet toward the rising shoreline. It takes a while to spot the glint of white against the black cloud, the Peliper soaring skyward building momentum as it veers back down toward the leviathan. Kyogre lets out another cry, the Surf swelling as another tidal wave started to build blocking the pelican’s flight path. With tailwinds too strong to turn back Peeko tilts his wings in efforts to climb skyward. The tsunami quickly closes distance, the two barely scraping over its cap and into open skies. Caught up in the nail biting suspense your guard starts the slip, the captain rousing you with a gruff yell, “Brace yourself lad!” The low groan of the vessel spurs you to look north, the tidal wave your two comrades had just narrowly avoided closing in on Briney’s old sailboat! With the sails full of rain and refusing to pull, the oldtimer hunkers below the rails boldly staring down his ocean nemesis. The wave reaches its peak, starting to crash as it pulled you in. The bow rises until you’re completely vertical, legs dangling weightlessly as you climbed higher and higher – hanging onto the railings by the tips of your fingers... The wave breaks and the boat capsizes, giving you one fleeting look at the old sea captain before the hum of ocean fills your ears.

It was like being dropped into an icy tundra, your whole body going numb as its heat drained away. Bubbles run from your nostrils and mouth as you gasp for air, the wave’s current pulling you almost half a mile under. You could easily give into a quick and painless death but your survival instincts coax you to do otherwise, swimming and kicking with the last of your strength until you reach the surface. The lapping waves are just as hard to contend with as you struggle to catch a breath against the sprays of water and the relentless downpour. You desperately strain to keep your stinging eyes open, spotting a piece of driftwood from the boat’s wreckage which you hastily swim toward. Hanging on for life and panting desperately, you struggle to get your bearings until the sea captain calls your name. Cast a good stretch away rafted on a Slowking that looked vaguely familiar he catches your eye as you yell back. However he quickly breaks contact, with Kyogre waging war against Ampere Beach.

Having narrow averted the tsunami, Peeko continues his bearing toward the sea god – picking up velocity as he dips into an airstream. The orca lets off a defiant wail in a last ditch attempt at stunting the pelican’s daring but there was no turning back now. The bird gives off a caw, signalling Delilah who gapes down at the passing ocean with rising fear. The Water Bird starts to brake as they meet with the Sea Basin Pokémon, deploying Delilah right on queue. The angler fish pulls back her fins as she breaks into freefall, one strong gust enough to send her off course. You watch with baited breath as she builds momentum, the Kyogre making no effort to dodge as the Chinchou makes a landing. Flopping onto the Briney Jr.’s head, he attempts to shake the angler fish but it’s no good with one hand tied to Kyogre’s dorsal fin and the other to the Red Orb. Delilah starts to slip off his crown, quickly wrapping her fins around his eyes like a blindfold before letting off a Supersonic wave sharp enough to scramble the young captain’s brains. The confusion seems to resonate down the orca a low wail echoing down the seas making the surf churn more waywardly. The dark ocean suddenly lights up as the Kyogre starts firing off a Hyper Beam into thin air, ripping through the dark clouds down to Ampere Beach were it easily levelled a strip of beach huts. The tide begins its invasion inland, taking you hostage with the current too strong to break free. Focusing back onto the source of the blitz you spot your last glimmer of hope in two blinking lightbulbs as Delilah wrestled with the captain for the orb. Time seems to slow down as they struggle for power, Delilah gaining the upper hand by poking the terrorist in his eyes with her anglers - letting loose all the juice she had left.

The two break away in slow motion, Delilah disappearing into the turbulent waters with the Red Orb hurtling back into the deep sea trenches... lost forever. Time spins back to normal and the crashing surf starts to calm. With a last rumble the black clouds part, the suns ray’s filtering down so bright it stings your eyes. The tide recesses back to the ocean, and Kyogre departs with it - the orca’s eyes and runes flickering back to their normal hue. In a matter of minutes the scene had completely changed, the deadly storm making way for a bright and sunny day. Delilah wraps her fins around you affectionately, and as she fares you toward the shore you take one look fleeting look at the turquoise ocean. Briney Jr. had attempted a getaway, with Sr. restraining him courtesy of Slowking’s Psychic. Police boats were quickly on the scene and you imagined it’d be a long long time before the twisted sailor ever got out. Resting your head against the warm sand you can faintly hear his screams of protest, “I’M INNOCENT I TELL YA! IT WAS THE ORB! IT TOOK CONTROL OF ME! AREN’T YA GUNNA TELL EM GRAMP’S... ALRIGHT! I DID IT! AND I WOULD’VE GOTTEN AWAY WITH IT TOO, IF IT WASN’T FOR THOSE MEDELING KIDS! BETRAYED BY MY OWN GRANDPA AND BY MY OWN POKÉMON! I’LL BE OUT SOON ENOUGH, AND I’LL HAVE MY REV-“You catch sound of a police car door slamming shut. Ampere Beach was safe again...

***

Weeks later you return to the scene, breathing in the salty sea air with all the painful memories flashing back like a movie reel. The beach couldn’t look any different to that fateful day, hundreds of beachgoers soaking up the rays, playing volleyball and building sandcastles – the sound of laughter resonating down the golden coast. As you ambled through the sandy stretches no one knew you were the kid who saved Whale Island. That was just fine - you didn’t need tourists harassing you with questions. After about an hour of walking you take a rest at Peili Harbour, the docks still being rebuilt after Kyogre’s rampage. Despite this you sit back on the wrecked pier, the soft waves somewhat calming the storm that was still raging in your mind. You shut your eyes, the cries of Wingull and Peliper drowning out all noise as they scuttled around the boardwalk looking for scraps. As one of them starts pecking at your pant leg you look steady ready to shoe it away, only for Peeko to greet you with an affectionate caw! Looking past the pelican you spot a pristine sailboat docked against the wharf, Captain Briney hailing you with a sailor’s salute – the Slowking you’d rescued from the deep sea shipwreck as a Slowpoke giving the same old dopey grin. The old man clambers off the boat, embracing you with a fatherly hug you didn’t expect.

“I’m guessin you came to pay your respects to that friend of yours?” he says with an unmistakable grin, “I wouldn’t lose hope yet kid. He’s still out there, I can feel it!” He pats you on the shoulder, easing your troubled mind some as you look out into the ocean, wondering just where Andy’s adventure had taken him now... Briney quickly interrupts this train of thought as he starts rummaging through his pockets.

“I almost forgot! I never rewarded you for all you did back there! You know, saving the world and all...” To keep from rambling he gives you a bluish disc and a seashell that jingles as it passes from his hand to yours “I want you to have this, it’s TM Brine, somewhat of a signature move of mine, heh heh. As for Delilah, I want her to wear this as a medal for her incredible bravery” before you can show any gratitude the salamander makes an odd noise to get your attention, fumbling around his conch headgear before prizing what could only be a . You can’t help but feel your stomach turn as he hands you the decapitated limb, recalling it was the same one you’d witnessed an Eelektrik gnaw off in the trenches of Rainbow Reef. It was incredibly rare and would fetch a fair price if you didn’t want to hang onto it.

“This was just a quick stop lad”, Briney smiles, unfastening the boat just as quickly as he’d docked, “We’re heading back home, but like two ships passing in the night I’m sure we’ll cross paths again some day!” With that, he fires you another salute as the wind fills his sails, braving the oceans once again. As the ship becomes a small dot on the horizon you decide to make tracks yourself, a whole world of adventure still out there for you to explore... The End

And with that, your adventure across Whale Island’s East Coast has been concluded, leaving you free to leave the Hydro-Electric Zone. it’s been a real pleasure updating you and I hope you got as much from this as I did. It’s a shame Andy never got to reach the finish line, but I hope you’re as satisfied with having this whole adventure wrapped up as I am. Feel free to revisit Whale Island at any time, but I doubt you’ll have me as your updater, so with that I wish you good luck! Finally, if you’re interested in trading away that Slowpoke Tail I’m the first in line!

Kakatua Lagoon

Balmund: Trapped underneath the rockfall survival seemed bleak. Bruises mark your chest where ribs had just cracked, a contrast against your sickly skin pale from heavy blood loss. With the crushing weight and intolerable ache consciousness starts to slip away, your vision blurring as you're whisked into oblivion... Then it happened. Your tail convulses with energy, pumping life into your heart that coursed through your body like an explosion of energy. The wounds seamlessly faded and the pain was wavered by a newborn strength. Something powerful was taking a hold and all you could do was ride the wave. Nostrils flaring, your pumped arms wrestle aggressively with the debris like a geyser releasing its pent up emotions - tailfin corkscrewing until you were free of the confines. Taking off you catch eye of the Porossal. It’d picked off a few crustacean Pokémon that’d scuttled too close to his dungeon, on the verge of returning to its slumber. The atrocious Pokémon within wasn’t going to stand for this, belting out a roar aggressive enough to steal back the enemy’s attention. Whilst you should be more concerned with your getaway the thirst for violence takes over, drunk on rage and speeding frenziedly toward the sea sponge.

The Porossal gives an amused gruff, raising its fists for round two as you close in. Tail flickering an Aqua hue, your waist twists forward as you lash it against one of its branches sending it hurtling into the cavern wall, rock and dust pouring from the impact zone. The sea monster doesn’t give any indication of pain as its arm ricochets back at blinding speed, glazed over with grass energy as it socks you with Wood Hammer. The force feels like being smacked in the gut with a battering ram as you keel over in pain – the collision wringing all the air out of your lungs. This only seems to add fuel to the fire raging within as your fists clench and tail thrusts forward. Beating away its branches you Thrash into its nose, swinging your arms and flailing your tail against the giant sponge to inflict as much pain as possible. Each hit pushes the Porossal back a few pegs, the Pokémon looking ready to topple - Ingraining its roots keeping it anchored to the sea bed. The sea sponge huffs its nostrils having taken a decent hit although not without a cost, your fists raw red courtesy of its Rough Skin. Swimming upward with a good vantage you start channelling the building Rage into a Draconic burst of energy, coursing up your throat like a hot inferno. Your contorted face lights up a shade of purple as the fireball spindles from your mouth swelling in size. Blitzing downward it hits its mark head on, ebbing away into cinders and leaving the sponge’s crown charred as he lets out a thunderous war cry in retaliation. It was hard to tell who was angrier at this stage, Porossal’s fists glazing over like giant Bullets as he launches a flurry of Punches at lighting speed. Each hit knocks you back a few feet until you’re cornered against the rocky dungeon wall. Pushed against the ropes by the colossal boxer, it was time to make a comeback. What will you do?

Son of Shadows:I usually only allow 3 moves per Pokémon for single battles and 2 moves per Pokémon for doubles but I’ll work with it for this update. Also whilst I don’t predict this battle will last long at all, expecting to knockout Corphish in one round is a little optimistic :P

You stumble wearily to your feet, a sore pain in your flank courtesy of Aegis’s hard carapace. With the Helicopter’s whirring rousing you into action the only thing stood in between you and liberating the Shamu – who was in the process of being liberated – was an old fashioned two-on-two brawl. Looking to even the odds you brandish another Pokéball, lobbing it forward to bring Voltron onto the scene. The Magnemite bobs free of his Pokéball with a smooth hum, stars running off his body as he suspends in midair. Meanwhile Aegis switched into a battle stance back against the magnet as the enemy Pokémon rounded on them. With a time limit every second counted, quickly volleying orders to kick off the battle. The redhead squints ahead, vision still impaired for hearing sharp enough to counter your orders, “Corphish! Protect yourself from both attacks then retaliate with a Bubblebeam! Poochyena, Bite on its tail and keep it up with a Crunch before letting it know who’s boss with a Roar!”

You can’t help thinking she’d be a lot tougher than you thought, these thoughts quickly dashed as the battle got underway. First on the bat is Voltron, the poles of his magnets crackling with electricity as he shoots off a Thunderbolt. The lightning arcs forward, inches from its target until the crawdad suddenly props up a Protective barrier – soaking up the electricity leaving him unscathed. Aegis dashes toward the canine before sweeping his Tail forward, the appendage flickering an Aqua hue. The attack splashes against its mark for a decent hit, but as the Wartortle attempts to pull his tail back the Poochyena straggles on with its jaws locked in a vicious Bite. Unfazed by the last attack, Voltron looks to up the ante as Sparks fly up and down his metal hide, veering toward the Corphish. The crab has other ideas as he tries to set up another shield to Protect himself... only managing to summon thin air with no time to dodge! The magnet tackles into the Corphish for a nasty hit, electricity rippling up the crustacean’s armour as his limbs lock up in paralysis. After a lucky break you switch your attention back to Aegis who was yelping in pain with the pup’s teeth sunk deep into his tail Crunching against the bone. The turtle grits his teeth, inhaling through his nostrils and letting loose an icy tundra. Left sitting duck the Blizzard pelts against the Poochyena’s fur for a heavy hit - Corphish and Voltron also caught in the flurry. The magnet is pushed sideways by the gale before homing back in on his target, emitting a Sonicboom which ripples down the bleachers chipping away another chunk of Corphish’s health. Still stiff from paralysis the crustacean manages to shoot off a Beam of foamy Bubbles, the barrage pelting against the electric type for some solid retribution. Aegis goes to tail off the round, raising his arms which combust in flames. However the Poochyena quickly stops him in his tracks, barking off a powerful Roar making the fire ebb away into cinders as the turtle is caught off guard.

“Keep it up!” The crook yells, “Corphish! Hit that Magnemite with another Bubblebeam then nail it with Rock Smash! Poochyena! Get on top of the Wartortle with a Take Down then give it a taste of your Thunder Fang!

The battle was off to a solid start, with Voltron managing to paralyse Corphish, and Aegis was managing to hold his own for now against Poochyena, though it had certainly got lucky by latching onto his tail. He would have to make sure that didn't happen again, it could be disastrous, especially if it had the bright idea to use Thunder Fang at the time.... Time to use Poochyena's momentum against him. As for Corphish... He didn't really have a strategy for this one, short of just powering through him with juicy Thunderbolts.

"Aegis, wait for Poochyena to close in with his Take Down, then swat him away with another Aqua Tail - use his momentum against him! Follow up with a Dig to avoid his Thunder Fang! Voltron, you can outmuscle that Corphish, I know you can - show no fear! Thunderbolt him twice!" Joshua took a quick look at Shamu, still struggling valiantly against the helicopter's pull. But he was clearly running out of time. He had to end this as fast as he could, for the whale's sake. And for Livewire's too. These people had kidnapped him and forced him to attack innocent children and Pokémon. He deserved justice.

Even if he was being kind of a pain about it.

Sorry I missed an update. I've been unwell and been studying. Typical. Also, noting the order thing. I didn't realise that was how you did it. Apologies.

Originally Posted by scytherdude30
no no no you need an empoleon as your powerhouse da listen to me man I AM THE BOMB

Originally Posted by Zincspider

Yes, someone is getting 'killed'... HOORAY FOR CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT!....

Balmund: Trapped underneath the rockfall survival seemed bleak. Bruises mark your chest where ribs had just cracked, a contrast against your sickly skin pale from heavy blood loss. With the crushing weight and intolerable ache consciousness starts to slip away, your vision blurring as you're whisked into oblivion... Then it happened. Your tail convulses with energy, pumping life into your heart that coursed through your body like an explosion of energy. The wounds seamlessly faded and the pain was wavered by a newborn strength. Something powerful was taking a hold and all you could do was ride the wave. Nostrils flaring, your pumped arms wrestle aggressively with the debris like a geyser releasing its pent up emotions - tailfin corkscrewing until you were free of the confines. Taking off you catch eye of the Porossal. It’d picked off a few crustacean Pokémon that’d scuttled too close to his dungeon, on the verge of returning to its slumber. The atrocious Pokémon within wasn’t going to stand for this, belting out a roar aggressive enough to steal back the enemy’s attention. Whilst you should be more concerned with your getaway the thirst for violence takes over, drunk on rage and speeding frenziedly toward the sea sponge.

The Porossal gives an amused gruff, raising its fists for round two as you close in. Tail flickering an Aqua hue, your waist twists forward as you lash it against one of its branches sending it hurtling into the cavern wall, rock and dust pouring from the impact zone. The sea monster doesn’t give any indication of pain as its arm ricochets back at blinding speed, glazed over with grass energy as it socks you with Wood Hammer. The force feels like being smacked in the gut with a battering ram as you keel over in pain – the collision wringing all the air out of your lungs. This only seems to add fuel to the fire raging within as your fists clench and tail thrusts forward. Beating away its branches you Thrash into its nose, swinging your arms and flailing your tail against the giant sponge to inflict as much pain as possible. Each hit pushes the Porossal back a few pegs, the Pokémon looking ready to topple - Ingraining its roots keeping it anchored to the sea bed. The sea sponge huffs its nostrils having taken a decent hit although not without a cost, your fists raw red courtesy of its Rough Skin. Swimming upward with a good vantage you start channelling the building Rage into a Draconic burst of energy, coursing up your throat like a hot inferno. Your contorted face lights up a shade of purple as the fireball spindles from your mouth swelling in size. Blitzing downward it hits its mark head on, ebbing away into cinders and leaving the sponge’s crown charred as he lets out a thunderous war cry in retaliation. It was hard to tell who was angrier at this stage, Porossal’s fists glazing over like giant Bullets as he launches a flurry of Punches at lighting speed. Each hit knocks you back a few feet until you’re cornered against the rocky dungeon wall. Pushed against the ropes by the colossal boxer, it was time to make a comeback. What will you do?

With this new rush of power, Balmund could really feel it: winning wasn't impossible! Though he could feel his attacks were being effective, the colossus wasn't one to show its pain so easily however. A tough champion indeed. Even now Balmund felt like the underdog challenger as they both traded blows. The Porossal maintains its stance, Ingraining its roots firmly on the ground while avoiding being knocked down by Balmund's relentless thrashing. Even after Balmund blasted it with an explosive Dragon Rage, it held on, also fueled by anger, retaliating with an unbelievable barrage of bullet-like fists. Who knew such a massive monster was capable of such speed? Balmund's feeble attempts at guarding where all for naught as they all went right past his defenses, pushing him back and back against a wall. He was against the ropes, and if he did not act fast, things would only get worse in this position. THINK!

Though initially too drunk on power to act differently, he remembered who he was. He's a Pokémon Trainer, a strategist. An out-boxer, not an infighter. Though his Gyarados half would very likely charge straight in, consequences be damned, he however had to remain cool for the both of them. Fighting up close and personal wasn't the smartest thing to do, he could feel it in his aching fists which pretty much had their skin peeled off of them as a result of the Porossal's Rough Skin. Though he knew nothing of the monster's abilities, he could sense it was highly resistant to physical attacks too, even against a Gyarados's own massive Attack power. It's massive size and the fact that it anchored itself to the ground could be used against it however. If Balmund could only aim to its blindside; to land at least one attack from a spot were it could not retaliate so easily. He had to try it, to open that one window of opportunity. First, creating some breathing room by sending a Twister in its direction. Then move and seek to cripple its movements further with a Dragon Rage at one of its legs. A low blow beneath its guard, but this wasn't a place to be playing fair. Finish off with a Hyper Beam, and for such an attack he had to make it count with perfect positioning. Hopefully, his body would follow what its mind instructed.

Myahoo: However much the thrill seeking Gym Leader had grinded your gears, your heart skips a beat upon seeing him sprawled across the storeroom floor – caught in an explosion to ward away trespassers. The leader stresses the importance of your mission waving a limp hand at the grid of Pokéballs, one of which a switch was hidden beneath. You weigh up your options, each red-white sphere identical despite how heavily you squinted. Finally picking the ball opposite Volkner, you nervously edge down the room, not looking to set off any bombs accidentally. The lights above give a slight flicker, tension rising as you crouched down to grab it. Hunkered down you lean in, fingers outstretched and inches away. You spot Volkner’s charred body in the corner of your eye – faltering an inch away. You’d come this far though, and with one brave lunge you prize the ball from the grid and lift it to see what’s underneath... Nothing! You’d picked the wrong ball, and what’s worse, this one felt a lot heavier than your average Pokéball. Just as this starts to sink in, a set of eyes crack open on the ball’s face – the Voltorb rattling wildly as it starts to Selfdestruct. You instinctively drop the timebomb and roll backwards whilst still in range. However as the Voltorb starts flashing violently, Wildfire pounces in the firing line taking the brunt of the hit. As the Voltorb detonates the last thing you hear is a loud BANG! A burst of fire swells ahead tossing the echidna against the wall like a ragdoll. You start to cough and splutter as smoke fills the room. Ears ringing you feel around the floor blindly, managing to find the KO’d echidna and return him to his Pokéball. As the smoke clears your throat starts to ease up, the grid back in sight with only two Pokéballs remaining... “Talk about your rotten luck”, Volkner says weakly, “I think we’ve taken out all the Voltorb, so the switch is bound to be under one of those ordinary Pokéballs”

By the time she actually picked up the Pokeball, Melissa could feel the tension weighing heavily on her and she nervously noticed that there was nothing under this one either. Not even a moment later, she realized it was heavier than normal and watched in horror as a set of eyes cracked open to glare at her. It began rattling in her hand and she hurriedly dropped it, scrambling backwards to try to get out of range. Still, as the Pokemon began flashing, she knew she was too close to escape the blast. Bracing herself for the impact, the brunette almost missed seeing her starter leap between them, obviously intending to take the hit. She already knew there was nothing she could say--and no time to say it anyway--as the Voltorb detonated, sending fire and smoke throughout the room. Melissa clenched her eyes shut to keep the smoke out, but that didn't stop her from catching the sound of her starter hitting the wall.

After taking a moment to recover, she slowly felt her way across the floor, looking for Wildfire. Pulling the echidna onto her lap, she gave him a pat on the head. "Thanks, buddy. I'll try to be more careful now; I know how you worry," she told him quietly before tapping him on the head with his infrequently-occupied Pokeball. He'd really gotten a beating over the course of this adventure, she thought as she waited for the smoke to clear, coughing occasionally.

As the two remaining Pokeballs came back into sight, Volkner spoke again. "Talk about your rotten luck. I think we've taken out all the Voltorb, so the switch is bound to be under one of those ordinary Pokeballs." Melissa nodded in response, eying the last two Pokeballs before sighing. Take another chance, huh? She moved back over to the grid as a thought hit her. Foresight! Stupid, stupid, stupid! I could have had Wildfire use Foresight to check before reaching for them! But she shook her head almost immediately after the statement. He was also exhausted and asleep. Something like that probably would have just sent him into unconsciousness faster.

With a sigh, she refocused on the grid. It didn't take even a moment before she reached for the one directly across from Volkner's. After all, worst thing that could happen now was picking every one except the one with the switch. Which would be a little annoying, but, well, her luck was crap anyway.

Flashfusion: A massive brawl was underway in the depths of the caverns, and by the looks of it you hadn’t gotten off to a bad start. One of the half a dozen robots was dismantled across the coin-strewn floor after you gang up tactics – and it was a strategy you were going to stick to as you shot out another volley of orders. Before that you drop to your knees rummaging through your bag for medical supplies – quickly brandishing a Super Potion. You aim at Larry who was on his last legs, pulling the trigger to release a spray of chemicals. The medicine stings but kicks in fast, the iron monster’s dents and scratches vanishing almost completely. Giving yourself a fighting edge, you take a step back as the nail biting action unfolds! First up Boing springs into the firing line with his pearl flickering a misty white, letting out a Ray of Confusion at a 180 degree angle. The sentinel’s movement appears more erratic, with confusion landing albeit only midly. Three of the five Golett manage to muster up a Shadow Ball whilst the others bonk themselves in the head in a stupor. The inky balls launch forward systematically, hitting all the ally team bar Larry who remains unscathed. Neptune tumbles onto his shell, using his tail to ricochet forward and shoot off a return-fire Ice Beam. The bluish bolt-beam arcs down on the most damage robot, his armour becoming stiff and glazed as the cold mist subsides. Nahkriin and Larry quickly join in on the action, slamming against the ground causing stalagmites to drop from the ceiling as the earth quakes. Coins ripple down the trove as the attack reaches the Golett, chipping away a good portion of their health whilst knocking one of them out! Neptune and Boing are knocked off their feet by the aftershock, but it was price worth paying bringing the odds to an equal number.

Your eyes sweep over to Boing who was delaying the offence, his pearl rolling down one of the mounds of gold with the piglet scrambling after it! Meanwhile Neptune doesn’t bother getting to his feet as he withdraws into his shell and starts spinning on the spot. Coins are kicked up everywhere as the Pokémon reaches rapid g-force, suddenly letting lose a Hydro Pump in all directions. The powerful blasts of water hit three of the four Golett, with one misfiring and spraying Nahkriin in the jaw – the Druddigon letting off a snarl of annoyance. Boing finally reunites with his pearl, drawing it to his crown telekinetically and unleashing a wave of Psychic power. The telekinetic force sweeps down the arena, ploughing through more of the pirate’s booty and slamming one of the Golett at random. The robot tumbles onto its rear, rising back up without a trace of emotion. Whilst Boing looks pleased with himself the sentinels appeared to a have targeted a more considerable threat – sensors homing in on Neptune. The ghostly guard’s fists flicker with Shadowy energy, rotating them upward and launching a barrage of ethereal Punches on the turtle’s position! Too tuckered out from his last attack he takes the beating dead on, enough to knock him out cold. Rushing to passed out turtle’s side, the idea of pulling a win seemed a whole lot harder. With a quick glance over the battlefield your squad were in much better shape – this time you couldn’t let your guard down. What will you do?

Cele was getting increasing worried about the damage that was being caused to the treasure as this colossal battle raged. Larry was heavily damaged during the affair, but a Super Potion bettered his condition significantly. With the team all ready, they marched into battle, Boing beginning the round with a Confuse Ray, albeit not a concentrated one, only to mildly cripple the Golett. The technique somewhat works, leaving two Golett chasing their non-existant tails as the other three fire off some Shadow Balls, hitting everyone except Larry.

Fortunately, Neptune's turtle-like build allows him to bounce off his curly blue tail and shoot an Ice Beam at the Golett, causing an icy patch to form on its body of armor. Then comes the double Earthquake from Larry and Nahkriin, their feet slamming into the ground causing stalactites to fall from the ceiling and coins to ripple down from the piles. One of the Golett is knocked out as the others are damaged. However, this does not come without negative consequences. Boing's pearl falls off his head as he bounces in pursuit of his prized possession. Neptune falls on his back, unable to get up. Cele also falls on his butt, rubbing it as he gets back up. "Ow..." he mutters.

Neptune withdraws his head, arms and legs into his shell, blasting high-pressure jets of water through all the holes in his shell, hitting almost all the Golett, one left unscathed as one jet hits Nahkriin, who growls in a low tone. With Boing retrieving his pearl, he lets off a Psychic, smashing a Golett to the floor, which gets back up easily. "Aw yeah!" Cele says as he notices the Golett look at Neptune, who is awaiting orders. The group of four fire Shadow Punches at Neptune, who is unable to dodge due to the Hydro Pump he just used. The fists knock him out, as he falls on his back, swirly-eyed.

A tourist magnet, Whale Island is a large region of land that was formed from volcanic activity a millennia ago. There is a strange abundance of electrical energy present on this island which, rather than posing a problem, has complemented the island entirely. The entire area is a haven for water Pokémon with even the mountain craters filled to the brim, the abundance of water sports and holiday travel locations ensuring the time you spend here is never dull. Cities and townships are located all across the island, with resorts, inns, and travel lodges in ample supply. The Hydra River is the main waterway, starting up in the north-west area of the island and down through the Central Plains where the great Hydro-Electric Dam has been constructed, before leading down to the south-eastern corner of the island and back out to sea. Whether it's action water sports you're after, or just lazing on a nice stretch of beach somewhere, you'll definitely find the place you're looking for on the famous Whale Island.

Central Plains

Mostly fertile farmland there's not much here for your average tourist or trainer although a few areas of interest do attract the more adventurous trainers. Electric Pokémon thrive out here and are often found roaming the fields. Better beware though, they're not all that fond of trainers getting too close to their young so take a wrong step and you may find yourself on the wrong end of a lightning bolt that hasn't come from the sky.

Areas:

Energos Quarry: As a mine abandoned after an errant spark caused a massive cave-in that crushed hundreds of workers, Energos Quarry is full of an electro-magnetic ore that causes electrical devices to malfunction and electric Pokémon to act strangely even inside their Pokéballs. Although abandoned, there are still many gemstones to be found in the tunnels and mines within, although plucky adventurers are warned that some of the Pokémon living in the mines may be reluctant to part with the treasures.

"Gemstones, huh? One of those would be a nice keepsake to have in memory of my journeys..."

It was that thought that had compelled Katsura to come explore the Energos Quarry, which he had read about in a book detailing the local points of interest. Not oblivious to the reported effects the mine's ore was said to have on electric Pokemon, he had decided it would be for the best to keep his usual companion of Kiba in his Pokeball for the duration of the trip; keeping it tucked away safely in his bag as an extra precaution. Instead, he was accompanied by a pair of different Pokemon; his Gible, Tia, and his Turtwig, Zelkova.

The two of them were staying close by his side they approached the quarry; a welcome behavior compared to Kiba's usual habit of leading the way at a rapid pace which on more then a few occasions had gotten them both into trouble. They were also having a rather lively conversation with each other about something; presumably about what awaited them up ahead, though Katsura could never be certain.

Before long, they found themselves standing at the entrance of the quarry, which had been left long abandoned since the freak accident that had doomed hundreds who once worked there. Katsura felt the likelihood of such a thing occurring again was slim, and as such, was mostly concerned about the wild Pokemon that surely lurked within. "Both of you... I need you to stay alert while we're in here. I don't want to get ambushed by any Pokemon." he said, his two Pokemon both giving a nod of the head and a word of acknowledgment in response. He knew he could count on Tia, the Gible looking confident and dutiful. Zelkova, on the other hand, was wearing the same dopey smile as always, which wasn't reassuring, as Katsura couldn't feel certain of whether the Turtwig was taking things seriously or not, though he at least knew he was a lot sharper then he looked.

Having prepared their minds for danger, the trio set off into the depths of the quarry...

Sorry about the delay folks. I’ll be updating a couple more times over the next couple of weeks so get those replies in whilst you can!

Cascade Waterfall

Kaisap: With Deadalus the Pokémon Ranger in-training now neck deep in the lake, your eyes drift toward the perilous waterfall, white foam from the rapid current spraying off the cluster of sharp rocks. Not trusting your own swimming abilities you hand it to a natural, brandishing a Pokéball and tossing it into the water. A stream of bubbles run off its surface as it sinks to the seabed, cracking open in a flash of light. Minori the Seel nimbly swerves back to the surface, breaking through the water with a playful bark. Kitty clambers to your crown as you test the water, inviting enough to plunge in wrapping your arms tight around the Seel. Deadalous sends you a weak smile before pressing on, the puffer fish flailing its tail waywardly sending him upstream. Minori quickly follows suit, kicking his hind flippers and Surfing you toward the plunge pool. The Skitty hisses as sprays of water catch her in the face, the water becoming more turbulent the further you swam. Eventually you meet the rocks – sharp as daggers with the fast current crashing any drifting vessel into them without a sweat. You wince as nerves take over, Kitty driving her claws into your scalp as her hydrophobia kicks in. With the Qwilfish knowing its way around the current the Ranger starts to gain a lead, Minori struggling against the rapids as you sailed in tow. After what felt like minutes you’d finally cleared the minefield without a scratch, the Seel barking triumphantly as you dock just a few feet from the waterfall. You spot Icarus the Rufflet, bored stiff of circling the skies as he flocks onto the ranger’s head – cawing cockily at Kitty.

“Hmm...” Dadalous ponders, barely audible under the thunderous sound of crashing water, “I-I’m willing to bet there’s a secret passage just behind th-this waterfall. We-we might have a better chance at infiltrating their hideout!” You try to clear the water out of your ears, not quite sure you heard him right. Go through the waterfall? The splash of the cascade made it impossible to strain ahead, much less look for a tunnel. Deadalous had proven incompetent at his post so far, sending red flags flying within your subconscious. He starts a countdown, Minori flexing his fins before you can make up your mind. “Ready... Set... Go!” The sensation of a ton of bricks crashing down on you takes shape for a fleeting second, the heavy rain punching you under the surface as Minori veered forward. Breaking through the threshold with a gasp, your ears prickle to the din of the waterfall now behind you. Kitty wrows in protest, dripping wet with her claws dug so deep into your skull she could draw blood. As the water runs off your eyes you get a good glimpse of the channel ahead, Deadalous’s instincts were right! The pair of you crawl to the surface, in awe at the bluish stones suspended in mid-air, illuminating the cave a neon hue.

“Those stones are charged by electrom-m-magnetism, watch you’re back, this cave ought to be t-teaming with electric types!” Deadalous dries his glasses against his jacket and bids farewell to the Qwilfish, delving deeper into the cave. As you scramble in tow you notice the walls were smooth to touch, supporting the ranger’s theory the tunnel had been drilled manually by nefarious criminals. However old cobwebs and Pokémon bones littered the stretch ahead, suggesting it hadn’t been used in a long time throwing more doubt into your mind. Minutes pass until you finally catch ear of some activity. You spot a glimpse of an Eelektrik, sparks flying up its body as it slinks into a fissure on the ceiling. The rare encounters don’t stop there, clusters of Ferroseed clinging to the walls, draining energy from its magnetic compounds. Eyes sweeping across the ceiling in awe, it take’s Deadalous’s stammering voice to rouse your attention. Just ahead was a huge web, weaved thick across the width of the channel blocking your path. The ranger rubs his head in dumfoundment, “Huh, I-I wonder if I should go back for one of those Ferroseed, do y-you have any better ideas?”

Minori quickly swam after Deadalus and his ride of a Qwilfish. Going up waterfalls had personally never been one of Noriko’s favorite activities: it was wet, potentially dangerous and painful. Kitty had noticed the water splashing all over her, her sharp claws digging into Noriko’s scalp. Those cuts would be a pain to wash hair with later. Deadalus and his Qwilfish seemed to navigate up the waterfall with enviable ease – Minori was by no means incapable of going upstream, but not as fast as the other Water-type. The Seel was, to put it lightly, frustrated, adding another thing on his list of “Reasons to Evolve Quick”. Managing to not hit any sharp rocks on the way, the team moved on up with Minori making proud noises for making it through the Minefield of Nature. At last docking on land after the waterfall, Noriko sighed with relief, with Kitty furiously trying to shake off the water. Water was quickly becoming less scaring and more annoying to the tiny feline – and Icarus the Rufflet cawing at her from above wasn’t helping with her mood. Kitty hissed back, ready to take on the cocky feather duster any day. Of course it was easy for the thing to irritate her from high up, she didn’t have wings!

Icarus had quickly grown bored of flying, landing on Deadalus’ head. “Hmm... I-I’m willing to bet there’s a secret passage just behind th-this waterfall. We-we might have a better chance at infiltrating their hideout!” Deadalus sounded far too happy while saying those words. Noriko shook her head sideways a few times to get the water out of her ears. “Are you joking?! We’ll get thrown on the rocks if we try to go back down!” Noriko was now heavily questioning the quality of the Ranger education, even more so when Deadalus clearly wasn’t listening, already doing a countdown. Minori flexed his fins a bit, all ready to go again, regardless of how his trainer felt. “Ready... Set... Go!”

As Dedalus reached “set” in his countdown, Noriko tried objecting. Was this really a good- and suddenly there was tons and tons of water crashing down on her again. Too busy trying not to accidentally drown, Noriko wasn’t fully aware what exactly happened – she could only notice when the spraying water disappeared suddenly, leaving the whole team soaked again, and dripping water echoing oddly around her. Kitty still had her claws deep in Noriko’s skin, causing a quiet string of curse words. Noriko could only barely have the realization that Kitty seemed far more angry and irritated than scared. At least some progress was being made, on some level. Beyond ecstatic at the sight of dry, rocky land, Minori swam closer, letting his trainer and Kitty crawl on less wet territory. Noriko was fairly sure that she would have strangled Deadalus had he been wrong about the cave.

Kitty was quick to start shaking off water while meowing angrily. The nerve of Noriko to get her wet like that! She then turned around, noticing a magical sight: blue rocks, shining and floating in mid-air. Kitty was in awe, as was Noriko. Both of them had a slight start at the voice of Deadalus coming from nearby. “Those stones are charged by electrom-m-magnetism, watch your back, this cave ought to be t-teaming with electric types!” Noriko nodded, digging out Minori’s Pokéball and calling him back inside it. A Water-type would be a bad idea in an electric cave. Kitty had cooled down enough to get back on Noriko’s head (sans the claws), and after Deadalus had dried his goggles on his jacket and waved goodbye to the Qwilfish, the group moved deeper into the cave. With smooth walls all over the place, Noriko gave a bit of value to Deadalus’ theory that the criminals had drilled in here – but the creepy bones and cobweb lying around didn’t seem very new. After a few minutes of walking in silence, there started to be Pokémon-induced noise.

A large Eelektrik sent off sparks of electricity before diving into a fissure high up in the ceiling, causing Noriko to let out her held breath. That one hadn’t looked very friendly. It wasn’t a Pokémon one ran into too often, which made Noriko wonder about the other inhabitants of this magnetic cave. She didn’t have to wonder for long, her eyes catching sight of clusters of little Ferroseeds hanging on to the walls and sucking in electricity. The young woman was overjoyed at the sight of even partly Grass-type Pokémon – but the kidnapped Donphan came first. Busy watching the Ferroseed, Noriko almost missed Deadalus’ stammered words. In front of them was a way further down – covered by a giant cobweb. The ranger rubbed his head, making Noriko have another bad feeling for some reason.

“Huh, I-I wonder if I should go back for one of those Ferroseed, do y-you have any better ideas?”

Here we go again. Noriko picked Skitty up from her head, looking at her partner in thought. Deadalus’ track record indicated total ignorance of logic, and getting through the web with a Ferroseed was closing in on old adventure game logic. Noriko had played those things and been traumatized for life. Moustache made by combining tape and a feline and all. Kitty looked at her trainer, sensing the uncertainty, meowing. If they let Deadalus ignore their suggestion, go for a Pokémon by himself and stall their progress, the Phanpys outside would be growing up without their mother and Noriko’s hair would be gray before Deadalus was finished. Both trainer and her partner shivered at the thought. “Hey Deadalus, how about we come along and help you get one? It should be safer and faster than you going at it alone. I might need a Ferroseed in a place like this as well…” Kitty meowed in agreement, her and Noriko looking at the ranger and waiting for a response.

Dark Searchman: Avast! The clash on dangerous tides had met a climatic finale with Peeko headed waywardly into the eye of the storm, ferrying Delilah in his bill prepped for dispatching. Your heart was tied in knots as the white pelican faded into the stormy night skies, grossly outmatched by the forces ahead. Back to the sailboat, even the legendary captain was powerless to keep it steady as the turbulent waves picked up in size. Your stomach churns as the vessel cuts through the swelling water, the rising current pushing up against the bow as you desperately hang onto the railings – fingers numb against the cold metal. The boat drops upon reaching the rolling wave’s crest, gravity pulling you down the deck as it sailed into another dark wharf. Briney rushes to the mast, tying down the sails as the whirring winds looked to knock you further off course. You spit out another mouthful of seawater as the surf bumped aggressively against the sides of the ship, a wave breaking over the railing and flooding the deck.

Clambering to your feet with the last survivor of the resistance far out of sight, an idea strikes like a flash of lightning. With one last trick under your sleeve you brandish a White Flute, guarding it from the harsh winds and rocky tides as you press the mouthpiece against your trembling lips. Forged by the ashes of mount chimney, the glass vidro chimed as the torrent of drizzle pattered against its surface, your last bet at evening the odds. Hunkering down on the forward hatch and taking a quick swallow of salty air you start to play the instrument. Despite practice you were no Mozart - blowing your lungs out with the flute releasing a weak whirring noise, ringing in your ears even after it tailed off into the ruckus of stormy sea. Playing until you go blue in the face you crawl to the edge of the boat desperate to see what you’d lured. Your eyes sweep across the ocean, nothing but churning waves barely distinguishable from the black sky. Your hopes start to dwindle as strain deeper into the blue, a flare of lightning from the rumbling clouds above giving light to the shoal of fish Pokémon headed to the surface! Your heart starts to race, imagining how the mighty orca would deal with a second battalion of Rainbow Reef’s finest... Or so you’d hoped. Suddenly a Magikarp blindsides you as it flounders onto the deck with a loud thud! Rubbing the sting of salt water away you take another fleeting look beyond the deck, hundreds of the ‘karp swarming around the boat - floundering pathetically as they pushed and shoved to get closer. Briney is too preoccupied on steering to make an observation, the plan working out to be a flop by the looks of what you’d trawled up. The marine predators were shrewd enough to ride out the storm, leaving all hope in the hands of Delilah and Peeko.

Drowning out the noise of splashing carp, you home back in on the storm ahead - Kyogre’s ruby eyes like flashing beacons as they jet toward the rising shoreline. It takes a while to spot the glint of white against the black cloud, the Peliper soaring skyward building momentum as it veers back down toward the leviathan. Kyogre lets out another cry, the Surf swelling as another tidal wave started to build blocking the pelican’s flight path. With tailwinds too strong to turn back Peeko tilts his wings in efforts to climb skyward. The tsunami quickly closes distance, the two barely scraping over its cap and into open skies. Caught up in the nail biting suspense your guard starts the slip, the captain rousing you with a gruff yell, “Brace yourself lad!” The low groan of the vessel spurs you to look north, the tidal wave your two comrades had just narrowly avoided closing in on Briney’s old sailboat! With the sails full of rain and refusing to pull, the oldtimer hunkers below the rails boldly staring down his ocean nemesis. The wave reaches its peak, starting to crash as it pulled you in. The bow rises until you’re completely vertical, legs dangling weightlessly as you climbed higher and higher – hanging onto the railings by the tips of your fingers... The wave breaks and the boat capsizes, giving you one fleeting look at the old sea captain before the hum of ocean fills your ears.

It was like being dropped into an icy tundra, your whole body going numb as its heat drained away. Bubbles run from your nostrils and mouth as you gasp for air, the wave’s current pulling you almost half a mile under. You could easily give into a quick and painless death but your survival instincts coax you to do otherwise, swimming and kicking with the last of your strength until you reach the surface. The lapping waves are just as hard to contend with as you struggle to catch a breath against the sprays of water and the relentless downpour. You desperately strain to keep your stinging eyes open, spotting a piece of driftwood from the boat’s wreckage which you hastily swim toward. Hanging on for life and panting desperately, you struggle to get your bearings until the sea captain calls your name. Cast a good stretch away rafted on a Slowking that looked vaguely familiar he catches your eye as you yell back. However he quickly breaks contact, with Kyogre waging war against Ampere Beach.

Having narrow averted the tsunami, Peeko continues his bearing toward the sea god – picking up velocity as he dips into an airstream. The orca lets off a defiant wail in a last ditch attempt at stunting the pelican’s daring but there was no turning back now. The bird gives off a caw, signalling Delilah who gapes down at the passing ocean with rising fear. The Water Bird starts to brake as they meet with the Sea Basin Pokémon, deploying Delilah right on queue. The angler fish pulls back her fins as she breaks into freefall, one strong gust enough to send her off course. You watch with baited breath as she builds momentum, the Kyogre making no effort to dodge as the Chinchou makes a landing. Flopping onto the Briney Jr.’s head, he attempts to shake the angler fish but it’s no good with one hand tied to Kyogre’s dorsal fin and the other to the Red Orb. Delilah starts to slip off his crown, quickly wrapping her fins around his eyes like a blindfold before letting off a Supersonic wave sharp enough to scramble the young captain’s brains. The confusion seems to resonate down the orca a low wail echoing down the seas making the surf churn more waywardly. The dark ocean suddenly lights up as the Kyogre starts firing off a Hyper Beam into thin air, ripping through the dark clouds down to Ampere Beach were it easily levelled a strip of beach huts. The tide begins its invasion inland, taking you hostage with the current too strong to break free. Focusing back onto the source of the blitz you spot your last glimmer of hope in two blinking lightbulbs as Delilah wrestled with the captain for the orb. Time seems to slow down as they struggle for power, Delilah gaining the upper hand by poking the terrorist in his eyes with her anglers - letting loose all the juice she had left.

The two break away in slow motion, Delilah disappearing into the turbulent waters with the Red Orb hurtling back into the deep sea trenches... lost forever. Time spins back to normal and the crashing surf starts to calm. With a last rumble the black clouds part, the suns ray’s filtering down so bright it stings your eyes. The tide recesses back to the ocean, and Kyogre departs with it - the orca’s eyes and runes flickering back to their normal hue. In a matter of minutes the scene had completely changed, the deadly storm making way for a bright and sunny day. Delilah wraps her fins around you affectionately, and as she fares you toward the shore you take one look fleeting look at the turquoise ocean. Briney Jr. had attempted a getaway, with Sr. restraining him courtesy of Slowking’s Psychic. Police boats were quickly on the scene and you imagined it’d be a long long time before the twisted sailor ever got out. Resting your head against the warm sand you can faintly hear his screams of protest, “I’M INNOCENT I TELL YA! IT WAS THE ORB! IT TOOK CONTROL OF ME! AREN’T YA GUNNA TELL EM GRAMP’S... ALRIGHT! I DID IT! AND I WOULD’VE GOTTEN AWAY WITH IT TOO, IF IT WASN’T FOR THOSE MEDELING KIDS! BETRAYED BY MY OWN GRANDPA AND BY MY OWN POKÉMON! I’LL BE OUT SOON ENOUGH, AND I’LL HAVE MY REV-“You catch sound of a police car door slamming shut. Ampere Beach was safe again...

***

Weeks later you return to the scene, breathing in the salty sea air with all the painful memories flashing back like a movie reel. The beach couldn’t look any different to that fateful day, hundreds of beachgoers soaking up the rays, playing volleyball and building sandcastles – the sound of laughter resonating down the golden coast. As you ambled through the sandy stretches no one knew you were the kid who saved Whale Island. That was just fine - you didn’t need tourists harassing you with questions. After about an hour of walking you take a rest at Peili Harbour, the docks still being rebuilt after Kyogre’s rampage. Despite this you sit back on the wrecked pier, the soft waves somewhat calming the storm that was still raging in your mind. You shut your eyes, the cries of Wingull and Peliper drowning out all noise as they scuttled around the boardwalk looking for scraps. As one of them starts pecking at your pant leg you look steady ready to shoe it away, only for Peeko to greet you with an affectionate caw! Looking past the pelican you spot a pristine sailboat docked against the wharf, Captain Briney hailing you with a sailor’s salute – the Slowking you’d rescued from the deep sea shipwreck as a Slowpoke giving the same old dopey grin. The old man clambers off the boat, embracing you with a fatherly hug you didn’t expect.

“I’m guessin you came to pay your respects to that friend of yours?” he says with an unmistakable grin, “I wouldn’t lose hope yet kid. He’s still out there, I can feel it!” He pats you on the shoulder, easing your troubled mind some as you look out into the ocean, wondering just where Andy’s adventure had taken him now... Briney quickly interrupts this train of thought as he starts rummaging through his pockets.

“I almost forgot! I never rewarded you for all you did back there! You know, saving the world and all...” To keep from rambling he gives you a bluish disc and a seashell that jingles as it passes from his hand to yours “I want you to have this, it’s TM Brine, somewhat of a signature move of mine, heh heh. As for Delilah, I want her to wear this as a medal for her incredible bravery” before you can show any gratitude the salamander makes an odd noise to get your attention, fumbling around his conch headgear before prizing what could only be a . You can’t help but feel your stomach turn as he hands you the decapitated limb, recalling it was the same one you’d witnessed an Eelektrik gnaw off in the trenches of Rainbow Reef. It was incredibly rare and would fetch a fair price if you didn’t want to hang onto it.

“This was just a quick stop lad”, Briney smiles, unfastening the boat just as quickly as he’d docked, “We’re heading back home, but like two ships passing in the night I’m sure we’ll cross paths again some day!” With that, he fires you another salute as the wind fills his sails, braving the oceans once again. As the ship becomes a small dot on the horizon you decide to make tracks yourself, a whole world of adventure still out there for you to explore... The End

And with that, your adventure across Whale Island’s East Coast has been concluded, leaving you free to leave the Hydro-Electric Zone. it’s been a real pleasure updating you and I hope you got as much from this as I did. It’s a shame Andy never got to reach the finish line, but I hope you’re as satisfied with having this whole adventure wrapped up as I am. Feel free to revisit Whale Island at any time, but I doubt you’ll have me as your updater, so with that I wish you good luck! Finally, if you’re interested in trading away that Slowpoke Tail I’m the first in line!

{Yosh, thank you so much, Emp! I really liked your updating, and while I had intended for my first adventure to be at Astoria, you did a great job getting me into the swing of things! And who knows, I just might be interested in trading away the little delicacy I've got here...

Now, if you guys don't mind, I'd actually like to continue my adventure here, and I even want to adventure in Ampere Beach some more! Plus it makes sense, my character's not going to just up and leave this place, not when there's more stuff to see! I'd be fine with a different updater taking me in for this part, though Emp's certainly free to keep updating me if he wants to! So, Whale Island Part 2, START!

Actually, I've decided to edit out my intro, and I'll hopefully post another intro into Whale Island later on...}

As Peeko flew into the storm with Delilah in his bill, Hyrem wondered if they'd even be able to get close enough to grab the orb; nothing was distracting Kyogre now, so it was free to focus on two bite-sized Pokemon and let loose its fury. Whoops, let's focus on the boat now, Hyrem! There was no way Briney could keep it steady now, the waves were just too wild and turbulent. Between the movement of the boat, the rain, and the cold metal railing the trainer was holding onto, his stomach was turning every which way, his fingers were going numb, and he had to keep spitting out seawater every time the boat jumped up and landed onto the rough sea. Even with all this adversity, Hyrem was able to play his White Flute, hoping to call some more powerful Water Pokemon into the battle. After playing the best he could, he looked into the sea. Pleeeease, let there be some fish in there! A flash of lightning, and- yes, they're coming!

"Karp!" the Magikarp says as it jumps into Hyrem's face. Hundreds of the fish join it, flopping on the deck of the ship, around the ship, just crowding for a place near Hyrem. Come to think of it, he'd have tried to catch one if HE WASN'T SO FOCUSED ON SURVIVING, DARNIT! So much for a backup plan, looks like the more useful Pokemon had the smarts to get out of Dodge, so now it really was up to Delilah and Peeko to save the day. Well, Peeko was still closing in, but Kyogre had other plans. With another spine-chilling roar, it summons another Surf attack to trap the two Water Pokemon. The wind kept forcing the Pelipper forward, so Peeko had to do his best to fly upward, as high as he could. Don't hit, don't hit, please don't hit! Hyrem's panicked thoughts dominated his mind. Fortunately, Peeko was high enough so that the wave barely touched his toes, so he and Delilah were safe and stayed on course.

But they weren't the only ones in the wave's path.

“Brace yourself lad!” the captain shouts urgently as he struggles to keep the boat from being swept in ... by that wave? ... Yeah, no. Hyrem's hands might as well have been frozen to the rails as he hung on for dear life. Tch, as if that was going to help. The boat ends up getting lifted to the crest of the wave before it comes crashing down, shattering the boat, and letting the captain be the last thing Hyrem saw before plunging into the icy waters. The plunge was so chilling his body went numb in a flash, it was impossible to hold his breath, and the current pushed him further into the subzero world. It took him everything he had just to resurface, but he then had the choppy waves, the water splashing into his eyes and mouth all the time, and if Kyogre saw Hyrem he'd be a sitting duck, powerless against the Pokegod. He finally sees some driftwood to grab onto, but he still struggled against the water until he heard Briney's voice call out his name. He looked for Briney and saw a familiar dopey face ... only this time he had a conch for a crown. "Hey, Briney!" he called out before letting Dexelle auto-register the new Pokemon:

Slowking, the Royal Pokemon. When a Shellder bites Slowpoke's head, the Slowpoke gains a phenomenal amount of intelligence, but should they lose the Shellder on their head they lose this intelligence and any memories it had as a Slowking. Slowking always manage to keep a level head, even in the most dire of situations. They are often seen researching with human scientists to help unlock the mysteries of the world.

Meanwhile, Peeko picks up speed as another tailwind favors him. Even when Kyogre lets out another mighty bellow, Peeko remained undaunted, opening his mouth wide so Delilah could make the jump. Though nervous, she leaves the safety of Peeko's mouth nonetheless, and as she falls faster Hyrem hopes her course is straight and true ... which it is since Kyogre didn't try to move out of the way. Delilah lands right on Briney Jr.'s head, catching him by surprise, and he is unable to shake the Chinchou off since he had to hold onto Kyogre's dorsal fin and the Red Orb. Delilah then slips down to hold onto his face with her fins before screaming something fiercely Supersonic, causing confusion in both the sailor's head and Kyogre's. For a moment, it roars out in pain, making the waters churn even more, before unleashing a Hyper Beam that vaporized everything in its path. It was a darn good thing the attack wasn't fired in Hyrem's direction! The tide carried Hyrem toward the shore; yeah, there wasn't any way Hyrem was going to fight that. Delilah then started trying to pry the orb out of Briney Jr.'s hand before shoving her lures into the sailor's eyes and giving him the shock of a lifetime.

That worked. As Delilah and Briney Jr. break away from each other, Hyrem could catch a glimpse of the Red Orb before it splashed into the deep waters. I don't think anybody's going to find that jewel any time soon (famous last words, right?). Everything calms down soon after that, the waves, the sky, everything. That included Kyogre, whose red runes no longer glowed. As the clouds part leaving a sunny sky, Kyogre slowly sinks back into the deep ocean. It was too bad, Hyrem almost wanted to see the Sea Basin Pokemon up close now that it was no longer angry ... almost. Seeing Delilah up close would totally be satisfying, though ... Oh, there she is, she surfaced right close to Hyrem! She even tightly hugged his face, happy to know her trainer was alive through all of this ... so cuuuuute! "Haha, you did it, Delilah!" Hyrem said happily, his voice muffled by Delilah's embrace. The pair were just responsible for beating a Pokegod--okay, so technically they beat the guy controlling Kyogre, but that counts, right?--so they had every right to be proud of themselves. As Delilah ferries Hyrem back to shore, he looks back to see Briney Jr. get apprehended by the police. By the time the pair made it ashore, they were both exhausted and decided to crawl up the beach before resting their heads against the sand. Oh yeah, can't forget how the could hear Briney Jr. ranting and screaming: “I’M INNOCENT I TELL YA! IT WAS THE ORB! IT TOOK CONTROL OF ME! AREN’T YA GUNNA TELL EM GRAMPS... ALRIGHT! I DID IT! AND I WOULD’VE GOTTEN AWAY WITH IT TOO, IF IT WASN’T FOR THOSE MEDDLING KIDS! BETRAYED BY MY OWN GRANDPA AND BY MY OWN POKÉMON! I’LL BE OUT SOON ENOUGH, AND I’LL HAVE MY REV-“ As the police door closes, Hyrem and Delilah couldn't help but smile, knowing the crisis befalling all of Whale Island had been averted. Hyrem's tired arms hug Delilah once more before they close their eyes and give themselves some much needed rest.

**********

It's been a few weeks since Hyrem was last here, though he kinda wished he didn't remember what he had to go through. The beach was just as lively as it was when he first set foot here. It all started so innocently, he just wanted a nice tree for Daphne to attach to, but then it led to a nice fishing trip in which he caught Delilah, that was good. But everything else was just a total misadventure in which it took all of Hyrem's strength to fend off a hungry Eelektrik, then a hungrier Kyogre. As he walked the beach, no one really gave him a moment's notice even though he should be celebrated around these parts. Eh, he didn't need all the publicity anyway, he got enough of it after a more well-known trainer approached him and gave him the fiery chick he named Vi. After about an hour, he walked over to Pieli Harbor, where they were still rebuilding from the mess Kyogre made. He decided to let Delilah out after he found an empty bench so they could sit and relax. They could certainly hear the Wingull and Pelipper out in full force, begging tourists to feed them. At least Delilah was able to repel any seabirds that tried to snatch her for lunch. Then a Pelipper grabbed Hyrem's pant leg, but before Hyrem tried to kick it away it gave a familiar, "Pelllll~!"

"Peeko!?" Hyrem asked, surprised to see the friendly pelican again. "Hey, how are you doing, bud!" he says before rubbing the top of the Pelipper's bill, only to look up and see Briney and Slowking greeting him aboard a brand new skimmer before Briney walks back onto the pier and unexpectedly hugs Hyrem. "Wow, great to see you again, Captain Briney!" he greets the old sailor.

“I’m guessin' you came to pay your respects to that friend of yours?” Briney says with a grin and a glint in his eye. “I wouldn’t lose hope yet kid. He’s still out there, I can feel it!” As Briney pats him on the shoulder, Hyrem is in better spirits. "Yeah, I know he's out there too! I just hope I can see him again, him and his Pokemon! I've got so many friends I want to show him now..." He trails off as he's distracted by Briney searching through his pockets. “I almost forgot! I never rewarded you for all you did back there! You know, saving the world and all...” Instead of going on like old men sometimes do, the captain gives Hyrem two unique items. I want you to have this, it’s TM Brine, somewhat of a signature move of mine, heh heh. As for Delilah, I want her to wear this Shell Bell as a medal for her incredible bravery.”

"Slowking!" the Psychic Pokemon calls out to Hyrem. As Hyrem draws nearer, Slowking grabs something out from under his crown that most definitely brought back bad memories to the trainer: the Tail the Eelektrik bit off of the creature when it was a Slowpoke. Well, this body part was supposed to be a delicacy to some people, though looking at it now Hyrem would unequivocally disagree. Still, it would be rude to not accept this gift. "Uh... gee... thanks..." he said as he grabbed the tip of the tail by the tips of his fingertips, trying so hard not to retch as he carried it over to the bench where Delilah was and set it down close to his Chinchou. Naturally, Delilah chose that moment to give in to her curiosity! She held the tip of the tail up to her mouth and took a tiny bite of it... and she really liked it. "Oh gosh," Hyrem blurted out, covering his mouth to try to keep it in. "Delilah," he weakly said through clenched teeth and his fist while Delilah kept tasting the meat. "Not. Helping." Eventually, he couldn't watch the spectacle anymore and took the tail away from Delilah, placing it into an odor-sealed bag so it could be used later.

Back to what Hyrem thought were the better gifts! "Thank you so much, Captain Briney!" he said, taking the TM and the bell, letting Delilah have the TM first. "Chou..." she said with wonder as she could feel the new power invigorate her. She could now envision the Brine of the ocean splash harshly against her foes, especially those who were worn down some. Then Hyrem presented the Shell Bell to her, and he felt like a parent would when they put a medal on their child. Delilah started playing with the bell around her neck, and she was thoroughly entertained by the magical jingling inside it. "Chin chou~!" she said with happiness as she jumped into Hyrem's arms. "Aw, haha, I'm glad you like them!" he said. "These are Captain Briney's gifts, so say 'thank you' to him!" Delilah turns to Briney and gives a cute, "Chin chou~!" again to express her gratitude.

“This was just a quick stop lad,” Briney smiles as he untied his boat from the pier and hoisted anchor, “We’re heading back home, but like two ships passing in the night I’m sure we’ll cross paths again some day!” And with that, he saluted farewell while Slowking steered the boat with Peeko perched at the top of the mast, waving goodbye. "Thanks again for all your help! Bye, Briney!" Hyrem called out to the sailor as he waved back while Delilah flashed her lures happily. As soon as the boat disappeared, he then looked down at his Chinchou. "You know, I think Whale Island's not done with me yet! For now, though, I think there's other places to go! So, Delilah, return!" he said as he opened her Pokeball which sucked her inside, then headed back to a boat that would take him to a zone that had made a mysterious return recently...

Meetan's January Update #11

((Apologies to Tim, but as mentioned in PMs, you're off the list until I have KG's old group sorted. I have some discussion to be done before I can actually get on that, but hopefully you won't be waiting /too/ long. Sorry, Rakurai, no openings here.))

Glitch City

Missingno. Master: You and Myrtle bicker for a little while as to how to proceed. Peeves isn’t going to last much longer, as she points out, but you’ve failed to stand up for your weaknesses in your team type. The weak Pokemon at hand is quick to point out that as disadvantaged as Lily will be, so is he, and you reluctantly withdraw him.

The Venomoth is evidently startled by her surroundings, but you point out that there is no time for that, and order her moves. She soars over the Houndour, scattering a pretty blue dust, but the dog burns it away with another Ember. Lily panics and flies back to avoid being caught in the small inferno before trying again with a Stun Spore. You’re having terrible luck – that fails, too. The Sludge Wave, thankfully, is a success: the gloopy wave of purple douses the dog, who coughs and barks in disgust, shaking its head. The nasty stuff has got into its eyes. Thankfully Lily has an endless reserve of poison energy, or once again, you might have had the beginnings of an energy problem.

Lily has the advantage now. No status effects might have landed on the canine yet, but its energy is far lower than hers and so is its health. You can attempt to catch it, but have no idea if it will work, or you can try to end the fight fast before there’s a chance for overturn. What do you do?

Suicune’s Effigy

LASL: You repeat yourself in mangled, barely legible German before returning to English, and though you don’t realise it, your words are directed at a wall some distance away and not at the legend himself. He doesn’t loosen his grip, but now when he speaks, his voice seems to boom impressively over the howls of the wind.

“We’re going there, but not together.” He tells you, not even looking at you anymore, but at the structure of crystal in the waves. “I’ll be waiting for you there, but you must make it there alone, even through the storm. You have until this time tomorrow to reach the castle and face my challenges, but if you can’t... Whale Island will fall under the waters. And you can spend eternity in the fear that you couldn’t overcome.”

Before you can respond, he slowly releases you before lunging from the cliff. Instead of crashing into the depths, he lands smoothly on top of the water, the waves rippling around his feet. Moments later, the blur of many colours has started for the castle, leaving you behind.

You have not been given much of a choice. With such an ultimatum, can you afford to waste this opportunity and bow to your fears? Will you try to flee? Or will you fight, and show your bravery to the figure that you’ve always admired?

Missingno. Master: You and Myrtle bicker for a little while as to how to proceed. Peeves isn’t going to last much longer, as she points out, but you’ve failed to stand up for your weaknesses in your team type. The weak Pokemon at hand is quick to point out that as disadvantaged as Lily will be, so is he, and you reluctantly withdraw him.

The Venomoth is evidently startled by her surroundings, but you point out that there is no time for that, and order her moves. She soars over the Houndour, scattering a pretty blue dust, but the dog burns it away with another Ember. Lily panics and flies back to avoid being caught in the small inferno before trying again with a Stun Spore. You’re having terrible luck – that fails, too. The Sludge Wave, thankfully, is a success: the gloopy wave of purple douses the dog, who coughs and barks in disgust, shaking its head. The nasty stuff has got into its eyes. Thankfully Lily has an endless reserve of poison energy, or once again, you might have had the beginnings of an energy problem.

Lily has the advantage now. No status effects might have landed on the canine yet, but its energy is far lower than hers and so is its health. You can attempt to catch it, but have no idea if it will work, or you can try to end the fight fast before there’s a chance for overturn. What do you do?

Keith withdrew his Duskull and sent in his Venomoth, but her Sleep Powder was quickly nullified by the Houndour's Ember. He crossed his fingers as Lily tried a Stun Spore... only for that to fail as well. However, it wasn't over till it was over, and Lily knew this, too, as she unleashed her Sludge Wave, dousing Houndour in the vile substance. Houndour barked and coughed in disgust, and it was obvious the sludge had gotten into its eyes. The battle was certainly turning in favor of Keith and his team, and he slowly raised his right hand, the hand in which the empty red-and-white sphere was still being clutched.

"Are you cer-tain?" Helena whispered as Keith pressed the button on the Poke Ball he had taken out earlier, enlarging it to full size. "We do not know if that Houn-dour is real or not..."

"Very true, Helena," Keith agreed. "But then, there's one way to find out, isn't there? Moreover, this can potentially end things before the Houndour gets a chance to turn the tides." Without further ado, he brought his arm back, and winged the orb forward, aiming right at the blinded Houndour. "Poke Ball! Go!!" he shouted.

OOC: As previously stated, the Poke Ball is #3 of 10, and the second one was used here.

Meetan's January Update #12

Glitch City

Missingno. Master: You enlarge the Poke Ball and throw it towards the Houndour, but as sure as you were, you were wrong. It merely bounced off its ooze-covered skin, now useless to you. The failure makes you grimace – this is the second time you’ve wasted a resource trying to capture something you could not, after all.

“I told you.” Myrtle said with a hint of smugness. For all the emotional development between human and Pokemon today, some things would never change. The Houndour keeps his eyes shut, and unfortunately, can’t smell Lily over the poison, either. However, it can hear the flapping of her wings, and the battle goes on – this dog will not give up without a fight. It uses another Ember, catching her off guard, singing her wings before it can fully be dodged.

Missingno. Master: You enlarge the Poke Ball and throw it towards the Houndour, but as sure as you were, you were wrong. It merely bounced off its ooze-covered skin, now useless to you. The failure makes you grimace – this is the second time you’ve wasted a resource trying to capture something you could not, after all.

“I told you.” Myrtle said with a hint of smugness. For all the emotional development between human and Pokemon today, some things would never change. The Houndour keeps his eyes shut, and unfortunately, can’t smell Lily over the poison, either. However, it can hear the flapping of her wings, and the battle goes on – this dog will not give up without a fight. It uses another Ember, catching her off guard, singing her wings before it can fully be dodged.

How will you go on?

Keith grimaced and facepalmed as Myrtle smugly said, "I told you." For the thrown ball merely bounced uselessly off the Houndour, the Poke Ball now useless. Helena gave Keith a sympathetic look, and even Myrtle was starting to look less and less smug by the moment as she noticed how forlorn her trainer was looking at the failed capture attempt.

"Well, now I know, I guess," Keith sighed as Houndour suddenly let off another Ember. Lily tried to evade it, but could not completely dodge it; the Fire move singed her wings.

"Mooooth," groaned Lily.

Keith sighed again, before speaking up, his determination returning to him. "Well, if we can't catch it, we can still finish it off! Lily, use your Sludge Wave again! Follow it up with Signal Beam, then Tackle it!"

"You can do it, Li-ly!" called Helena, intent on at least cheering on her teammate, if she wasn't in a position to help out otherwise.

Meetan's January Update #13

Glitch City

Missingno. Master: Myrtle’s smugness falls away as she notices just how forlorn you look. Now you know better, and can carry on the fight, cheering on the Venomoth along with Helena. Seeing the Sludge Wave coming, Houndour attempts to evade, still caught in its massive area, but not in such a state as last time. It doesn’t help that it’s near enough blind for the moment, and while Signal Beam is significantly brighter, that and the Tackle hit their mark. The dog whines as it goes barrelling backwards into a scrambled-looking wall. The Pokemon is out for the count, and Lily gains a level up!

“There.” Helena sounds relieved, as does the Venomoth, who croons along with her. The battle is done, but there are still obstacles ahead. There are plenty of boulders and objects to clamber over, and two routes to get closer to the coast which involve bodies of water: a smaller swim which will lead to a row of buildings and the promise of more climbing (and a large tree), or a longer body of water which will lead to a more direct path to the coast. Either way, there may be more Pokemon or glitched happenings.

Missingno. Master: Myrtle’s smugness falls away as she notices just how forlorn you look. Now you know better, and can carry on the fight, cheering on the Venomoth along with Helena. Seeing the Sludge Wave coming, Houndour attempts to evade, still caught in its massive area, but not in such a state as last time. It doesn’t help that it’s near enough blind for the moment, and while Signal Beam is significantly brighter, that and the Tackle hit their mark. The dog whines as it goes barrelling backwards into a scrambled-looking wall. The Pokemon is out for the count, and Lily gains a level up!

“There.” Helena sounds relieved, as does the Venomoth, who croons along with her. The battle is done, but there are still obstacles ahead. There are plenty of boulders and objects to clamber over, and two routes to get closer to the coast which involve bodies of water: a smaller swim which will lead to a row of buildings and the promise of more climbing (and a large tree), or a longer body of water which will lead to a more direct path to the coast. Either way, there may be more Pokemon or glitched happenings.

What do you do?

"Yeah!" Keith exclaimed as Lily slammed into the Houndour, sending it barreling backwards and into unconsciousness, increasing her level from 39 to 40. "Good job, Lily!"

"Ex-cel-lent," smiled Helena.

"I must ad-mit, that was nice," confessed Myrtle, betraying a small smile at her Bug/Poison-type teammate.

"Venomoth, Venomoth," replied Lily, looking significantly happy.

"All right," Keith grinned, his initial disappointment at not being able to catch the Houndour significantly ebbing away. "So now what do we do?"

"There ap-pear to be two ways to get to the coast," stated Myrtle. Keith looked, and indeed he saw two routes- one was a small body of water leading to a row of buildings, and it looked as though more climbing would be necessary. The other route looked more direct, but also more wet.

"Crap," muttered Keith. "Either way, we gotta get across water, and that's gonna be a problem for me... Really should have brought Pisces with me, or even Helga..."

"Well..." Helena said, furiously thinking, trying to come up with an idea. "What a-bout Li-ly's Con-fu-sion? She can car-ry you a-cross the wa-ter!"

"I don't know," Keith said uncertainly, turning to face his Venomoth. "Lily, you think you'd be up for that, right after that battle?"

"Veno..." murmured Lily, equally uncertain.

"I have an i-de-a," said Myrtle. "You may not be a-ble to swim, but you can walk on ice."

"Yeah, but- of course!" Keith exclaimed. "Lily, do you think you might be able to freeze the water solid enough with your Icy Wind?"

"...Venomoth," replied Lily, her tone suggesting a bit more confidence in this idea.

"I will help," Myrtle stated. "I can use I-cy Wind as well-"

"You will not," Keith said firmly. "Until your condition improves, I don't want you exerting any more energy than is strictly necessary."

"No, screw that," argued Myrtle. "I wish to help out, and I will be damned if I let a lit-tle quea-si-ness in-ter-fere with me see-ing my own kind a-gain."

Keith sighed. "You're right," he admitted. "But Myrtle, please, be careful. Here's the plan- Myrtle, Lily, use Icy Wind to freeze the smaller body of water. I can at least get the climbing done on my own. Lily, the ice is gonna be slippery, so help me keep my balance any way you can. If the ice starts to crack, try and lift me with Confusion. OK, everyone got their orders?"